2027 Best Value Economics Schools in District of Columbia
[Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for economics students.
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2027 Best Value Economics Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in economics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Economics Schools
George Washington University earned the #1 spot for value among economics schools in District of Columbia. 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 economics graduates is $23,250. Soon after graduation, economics degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $75,236. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Georgetown University one of the best values for economics. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,089. Typical student debt for economics graduates is $16,500. Soon after graduation, economics degree recipients from Georgetown University generally make around $81,892. That is a strong return on a $16,500 median debt. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
American University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value economics schools. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Economics graduates carry a median of $22,625 in student loans. Economics graduates of American University earn a median of $72,527 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. American University admits about 62% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Howard University earned it the #4 place for economics. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,810. Economics graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, economics degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $58,495. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 41% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
