Washington, DC · Private nonprofit
41.3%
Acceptance rate
1,205
SAT Average
$47,919
Avg net price
9,604
Enrollment
| All fields, 2024-25Bachelor’s 2,266Master’s 403Doctoral 529 |
| Bachelor’s 352Master’s 95Doctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 296Master’s 24Doctoral 272 |
| Bachelor’s 263Master’s None reportedDoctoral 10 |
| Bachelor’s 246Master’s 11Doctoral 12 |
| Bachelor’s 228Master’s 0Doctoral 6 |
| Bachelor’s 178Master’s 4Doctoral 13 |
| Bachelor’s 103Master’s 17Doctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 97Master’s 3Doctoral 4 |
| Bachelor’s 93Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 91Master’s 1Doctoral 5 |
| Bachelor’s 87Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 49Master’s 14Doctoral 1 |
| Bachelor’s 37Master’s 3Doctoral 2 |
| Bachelor’s 32Master’s 25Doctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 28Master’s 1Doctoral 5 |
| Bachelor’s 20Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 17Master’s 1Doctoral 2 |
| Bachelor’s 16Master’s 1Doctoral 8 |
| Bachelor’s 14Master’s 0Doctoral 2 |
| Bachelor’s 10Master’s 6Doctoral 17 |
| Bachelor’s 6Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 3Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s 0Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported |
| Bachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 175Doctoral 2 |
| Bachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 2Doctoral 160 |
| Bachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 20Doctoral 8 |
NCAA program details
- Primary division
- Division I
- Primary conference
- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conf.
Projected sponsored sports21
Athletic participation
465 unique student-athletes · 17 varsity teams
Early Decision
Binding
Early Action
Regular Decision
FAFSA due Nov 1
· Apply with Common App
Published on-campus price, 2024–25
- Tuition
- $35,344
- Required fees
- $466
- Food and housing
- $17,322
- Books and supplies
- $1,360
- Other expenses
- $3,540
- Total
- $58,032
- $45,9712019–2019–20
- $49,2502020–2120–21
- $48,2142021–2221–22
- $51,4502022–2322–23
- $54,6302023–2423–24
- $58,0322024–2524–25
Net price by family income, 2022–23
Students of all incomes paid $47,919 on average. Grants and scholarships covered the rest of the cost.
Net price covers first-time, full-time students who received federal aid.
Need-based aid, 2025–26
- First-years with need-based aid
- 82%
- Average share of need met
- 58.6%
- Average need-based grant
- $9,275
- Required forms
- FAFSA
Sources
- IPEDS Institutional Characteristics · National Center for Education Statistics · 2025–26
- IPEDS Admissions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
- College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03
- Application process · College websites · 2026–27
- NCAA Projected Sports Sponsorship by School · National Collegiate Athletic Association · 2025–26
- Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act · U.S. Department of Education · 2024–25
- Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25, 2025–26
- IPEDS Completions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
- IPEDS Student Charges · National Center for Education Statistics · 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Every figure below is read directly from Howard University’s own reported data, with no scores, ratings, or estimates added. Derived from 4 Common Data Set filings (2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25, 2025–26).
Howard University admitted of applicants, a admit rate. Of those, enrolled, a yield, across 4 years of Common Data Set filings.
Howard University runs one binding Early Decision round and a nonbinding Early Action plan. ED applicants were admitted at versus for the regular pool, a edge, and ED admits fill of the class.
The enrolled class is roughly international, and about of its domestic students come from out of state. Howard University admits in-state applicants at 38.6%, out-of-state applicants at 41.2%, and international applicants at 59.8%.
Enrolled first-years by geography
2,490 first-years
Admit odds by pool
Test scores are considered but not required. SAT or ACT scores must arrive by Nov 15. Of enrolled first-years, submitted an SAT, up from 27% in 2021–22, and an ACT, up from 10%.
Some students submit both an SAT and an ACT, so the two shares overlap. They don’t add up to a single “submitted a test” rate.
SAT composite
47% of the class submitted an SAT
Middle 50%
Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands
ACT composite
15% of the class submitted an ACT
Middle 50%
Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands
Howard University’s enrolled first-years averaged a high-school GPA, among the 100% who submitted one.
High-school GPA
shares of all enrolled first-years
Average 3.68
Howard University rates 3 factors "very important." Each column reads strongest first.
Academic
- Rigor of secondary school record
- Very important
- Academic GPA
- Very important
- Standardized test scores
- Very important
- Class rank
- Considered
- Application essay
- Considered
- Recommendation(s)
- Considered
Nonacademic
- Character / personal qualities
- Important
- Extracurricular activities
- Considered
- Talent / ability
- Considered
- First generation
- Considered
- Alumni/ae relation
- Considered
- Volunteer work
- Considered
- Work experience
- Considered
- Level of applicant's interest
- Considered
- Interview
- Not considered
- Geographical residence
- Not considered
- State residency
- Not considered
- Religious affiliation/commitment
- Not considered
Howard University leaves 2 Common Data Set answers blank — each one hidden below with what it would tell you.
Without the rank spread of enrolled students, there’s no top-of-class signal to place a transcript against.
Without the GPA spread, a family can’t see where their transcript lands within the class.
Does disclose: SAT / ACT score bands (C9) · Admissions factor grid (C7) · Early Decision applicants & admits (C21)
Howard University’s sticker drops once grant aid is applied, and what a family actually pays depends on income. of first-years received need-based aid; a family with no aid pays the full sticker. The school meets of demonstrated need, split into .
What aid recipients pay, by income
net price
Bars read against the $59,138 sticker. Each figure averages only families who received federal aid in that income band (College Scorecard); $47,919 across all aid recipients. Aid share: 2,249 of 2,735 first-years in the 2025–26 Common Data Set.
How need-based aid is determined
Cost of attendance − expected family contribution = demonstrated need
Forms a family files to be considered
What that meant in 2025–26
Cost of attendance $59,138
Averages among the 2,249 first-years awarded need-based aid.
Merit aid reached of the class, or of enrolled first-years. For international applicants, Howard University offers both need-based and merit aid: nonresidents received aid, averaging .
Waitlist activity, as reported to the Common Data Set.
Admitted off waitlist
Not disclosed90.1% of Howard University’s first-years return for a second year and 68.9% graduate within six. Median earnings ten years out are against of median federal debt, roughly a earnings-to-debt ratio.
Sources
- Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25, 2025–26
- College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03