2027 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in District of Columbia
[Physical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for physical sciences students.
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2027 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in District of Columbia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the physical sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools
Leading the list is Catholic University Of America, our #1 best value for physical sciences in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,378. Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $25,771 in student loans. Physical Sciences graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $65,120 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,771 median debt. Catholic University Of America admits about 83% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in physical sciences will find it at George Washington University, which ranked #2. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $27,000. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $73,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.
Georgetown University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in physical sciences, landing the #3 spot this year. Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,089. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $16,483. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $79,632. Set against $16,483 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 13%.
American University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in physical sciences, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $58,771 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,139 to complete the physical sciences program here. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $54,585. That is a strong return on a $24,139 median debt. American University admits about 62% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in physical sciences will find it at Howard University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $35,810. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete the physical sciences program here. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $58,495. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 41%.
More Physical Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
