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Leading the list is Gallaudet University, our #1 most diverse college in District of Columbia. The school's overall diversity score is 83.3 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 71.0, and gender diversity 96.7.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 14 colleges by overall diversity in District of Columbia, using our 2026 methodology.
Our ranking weighs several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic origin, gender balance, and age range. To help you decide, College Factual reviewed 14 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal mix depends on what matters most to you. Drill down by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Want to compare schools head to head? Check out College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Explore the leading colleges below:
Leading the list is Gallaudet University, our #1 most diverse college in District of Columbia. The school's overall diversity score is 83.3 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 71.0, and gender diversity 96.7.
You'll find a welcoming community at Strayer University-Global Region, which ranked #2 this year. It scores 81.1 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 62.2, alongside a 92.9 gender-diversity score.
George Washington University came in at #3 on this year's Most Diverse Colleges ranking in District of Columbia. The school's overall diversity score is 76.2 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 75.2, with a gender-diversity score of 95.9.
You'll find a welcoming community at Howard University, which ranked #4 this year. The school's overall diversity score is 75.7 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 53.9, and gender diversity 88.4.
You'll find a welcoming community at The Catholic University of America, which ranked #5 this year. The Catholic University of America scores 74.0 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 67.2, and gender diversity 99.8.
Georgetown University earned the #6 position in District of Columbia. On overall diversity, it scores 74.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 77.4, and gender diversity 99.3.
University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus earned the #7 position in District of Columbia. University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus scores 73.4 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 80.8, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
American University earned the #8 position in District of Columbia. American University scores 73.3 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 73.6, alongside a 95.1 gender-diversity score.
University of the District of Columbia placed #9 among the most diverse colleges in District of Columbia. The school's overall diversity score is 70.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 60.0, and gender diversity 92.8.
Trinity Washington University came in at #10 in this year's ranking. The school's overall diversity score is 51.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 55.3, with a gender-diversity score of 35.7.
Bennett Career Institute landed the #11 spot in District of Columbia this year. Bennett Career Institute scores 47.7 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 4.6, alongside a 81.5 gender-diversity score.
Career Technical Institute landed the #12 spot in District of Columbia this year. On overall diversity, it scores 43.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 17.1, and gender diversity 79.4.
Saint Michael College of Allied Health placed #13 among the most diverse colleges in District of Columbia. The school's overall diversity score is 37.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 2.3, with a gender-diversity score of 49.6.
The Salon Professional Academy - Washington DC placed #14 among the most diverse colleges in District of Columbia. The Salon Professional Academy - Washington DC scores 36.2 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 39.5, with a gender-diversity score of 21.9.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic representation, gender balance, and age range. The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.