by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in District of Columbia, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. We have ranked **5** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual reviewed 5 graduate schools across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
Georgetown University tops our 2026 ranking of the best graduate schools in District of Columbia. Based in Washington, DC, Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 95% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,089. Graduates go on to earn a median of $79,632 early in their careers. Georgetown University students take on a median of $16,483 in debt.
The strong outcomes at George Washington University earned it the #2 place in District of Columbia. Located in Washington, DC, George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 84% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $67,710. Early-career graduates earn a median of $73,749. Typical student debt is $22,910.
American University came in at #3 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in District of Columbia. Based in Washington, DC, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. American University posts a six-year graduation rate of 76%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,771. Early-career graduates earn a median of $54,585. Students borrow a median of $24,139 to complete a degree here.
The strong outcomes at Catholic University Of America earned it the #4 place in District of Columbia. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Catholic University Of America posts a six-year graduation rate of 80%. In-state tuition and fees average $58,378. Graduates go on to earn a median of $65,120 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,771 to complete a degree here.
The strong outcomes at Howard University earned it the #5 place in District of Columbia. Howard University is a private not-for-profit school based in Washington, DC. Howard University posts a six-year graduation rate of 70%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,810. Median early-career earnings reach $58,495. The median student debt is $25,498.
The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology At Washington Dc placed #6 among the best graduate schools in District of Columbia. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Median early-career earnings reach $76,934.
Gallaudet University did well this year, earning the #7 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Washington, DC. Gallaudet University posts a six-year graduation rate of 47%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,654. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $44,489. The median student debt is $24,123.
University Of The District Of Columbia ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Washington, DC, University Of The District Of Columbia is a public institution. University Of The District Of Columbia graduates 44% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $5,662, compared with $12,514 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $57,060. Typical student debt is $32,304.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
These rankings are produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Graduate schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
