List of colleges and universities in Washington, D.C.

There are nineteen colleges and universities in Washington, D.C., that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.^{[note 1]} These institutions include five research universities, four master's universities, and ten special-focus institutions. Sixteen of Washington, D.C.'s post-secondary institutions are private, of which three are for-profit. Only three of the city's post-secondary institutions listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education are public. In addition to the institutions listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, Washington, D.C., has three additional private not-for-profit post-secondary institutions (Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, NewU University, and St. Paul's College) and two additional public post-secondary institutions (National Defense University and the Inter-American Defense College).

Midcampus of George Washington University

Healy Hall at Georgetown University

McMahon Hall at the Catholic University of America

Founders Library at Howard University

School of International Service at American University

Founders' Plaza at the University of the District of Columbia

Washington, D.C.'s oldest post-secondary institution is Georgetown University, founded in 1789.^[2][3] Georgetown University is also the oldest Jesuit and Catholic university in the United States.^[4][5] Founded in 1821, George Washington University is the city's largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrollment, as it had 25,653 students as of the spring of 2013.^[6][7] George Washington left shares to endow a university in D.C. which became George Washington University^[8] According to the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, Washington Theological Union is the city's smallest with an enrollment of 80.^[7]

In total, there are six Catholic post-secondary institutions listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education in Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America, Georgetown University, the Dominican House of Studies, the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America, Trinity Washington University, and the Washington Theological Union. In addition, Gallaudet University is a post-secondary institution for the deaf and hard of hearing, and its curriculum is officially bilingual in both English and American Sign Language.^[9]

The University of the District of Columbia is Washington, D.C.'s largest public university (with an enrollment of 5,110 students) and its oldest historically black university.^[7] It is also DC's sole land-grant university.^[10] The other HBCU in the district, a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund alongside UDC, is Howard University, one of the top-ranked HBCUs in the nation.^[11][12]

Washington, D.C., has three medical schools: George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Howard University College of Medicine. There are six law schools that are accredited by the American Bar Association: the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, Columbus School of Law (Catholic University of America), Howard University School of Law, George Washington University Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and Washington College of Law (American University).^[13] Eighteen of Washington, D.C.'s post-secondary institutions are officially recognized by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). Most are accredited by multiple agencies, such as the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA), the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Institutions

List of active institutions

School	Control^[note 2]	Type^[note 3]	Enrollment^[7] (spring 2018)	Founded	Accreditation^[7]
American University	Private not-for-profit	Doctoral/research university	12,904	1893^[14]	ABA, APA, MSA, NASM, NCATE
Bay Atlantic University	Private not-for-profit	Not Classified	130	2014^[15]	ACICS
Catholic University of America	Private not-for-profit	Research university	6,078	1887^[16]	ACEN, ABA, APA, ATS, CCNE, MSA, NASM, NCATE
Gallaudet University	Private not-for-profit	Doctoral/research university	1,580	1864^[17]	APA, ASHA, MSA, NCATE
George Washington University	Private not-for-profit	Research university	25,653	1821^[6]	ABA, APTA, APA, ASHA, CAHME, CCNE, CEPH, LCME, MSA, NASM, NCATE
Georgetown University	Private not-for-profit	Research university	17,357	1789^[2]	ACME, ABA, ACPE, CAHME, CCNE, CEA, COA, LCME, MSA
Howard University	Private not-for-profit	Research university	10,002	1867^[18]	ACPE, ABA, ADA, AND, AOTA, APTA, APA, ASHA, ATS, CCNE, JRCERT, LCME, MSA, NASAD, NASM, NAST, NCATE
Institute of World Politics	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	140 (Spring 2015)	1990^[19]	MSA
Inter-American Defense College	Public (Organization of American States and the Inter-American Defense Board)	Special-focus institution	64	1962	ACICS
National Intelligence University^[note 4]	Public (U.S. Government and U.S. Armed Forces)	Special-focus institution	692^[20]	1962^[21]	MSA^[22]
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	117	1902^[23]	ATS, MSA
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America^[note 5]	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	103	1988^[24]	MSA
Strayer University–District of Columbia	Private for-profit	Master's university	1,517	1904^[25]	MSA, TEAC
Trinity Washington University	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	2,100	1897^[26]	CCNE, MSA, NCATE
University of Phoenix–Washington DC Campus	Private for-profit	Special-focus institution	203	1976^[27]	HLC
University of the District of Columbia	Public	Research university	4,500	1851^[28]	ACEN, ABFSE, AND, ASHA, JRCERT, MSA, NCATE, ASHA, ABA
University of the Potomac–Washington DC Campus	Private for-profit	Special-focus institution	292	1989^[29]	MSA
Wesley Theological Seminary	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	634	1882^[30]	ATS, MSA

Other active institutions

List of other active institutions^{[note 6]}

School	Control	Founded	Accreditation
Quantic School of Business and Technology	Private for-profit	2014^[31]	DEAC^[32]
Human Resources University	Public (U.S. Government)	2011^[33]	N/A
National Defense University	Public (U.S. Government & Armed Forces)	1976^[34]	MSA^[35]
NewU University	Private not-for-profit	2019^[36]	N/A^[note 7]
Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School	Private not-for-profit	2007^[38]	N/A^[note 8]
Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies	Private not-for-profit	1943^[39]	N/A^[note 9]
St. Paul's College	Private not-for-profit	1914^[40]	None

Active Institutions with satellite programs

List of active institutions with satellite programs

School
Arizona State University
Brown University^[41]
Cornell University^[42]
Hillsdale College
Johns Hopkins University
New York University^[43]
Pepperdine University
Marquette University
Stanford University^[44]
Texas A&M University^[45]
University of California, Washington Center^[46]
University of Maryland^[47]
University of Texas at Austin

Defunct institutions

List of defunct institutions in Washington, D.C.

School	Control	Founded	Closed	Notes
Benjamin Franklin University	Private not-for-profit^[48]	1925^[48]	1987^[48]	Merged with George Washington University in 1987^[48]
Corcoran College of the Arts and Design	Private not-for-profit	1878^[49]	2014	Absorbed into George Washington University
Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross	Private not-for-profit^[50]	1935^[50]	1973^[50]	Campus acquired by Howard University in 1974 to serve as the campus for Howard University School of Law^[51]
Graduate School USA	Private not-for-profit	1921^[52]	Still open	No longer offering academic degree programs or for-credit courses
Mount Vernon Seminary and College	Private not-for-profit^[53]	1875^[54]^[55]	1999^[54]^[55]	Merged with George Washington University in 1999, and currently serves as the institution's Mount Vernon Campus^[53]^[56]
Southeastern University	Private not-for-profit^[57]^[58]	1879^[57]	2009^[57]^[58]	Acquired by Graduate School USA in 2010^[58]

See also

• Higher education in the United States
• List of college athletic programs in Washington, D.C.
• List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations
• Lists of American institutions of higher education

References

Explanatory notes

1. National Defense University, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and St. Paul's College are not listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education or by the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.^[1]
2. School control and type is based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.^[1]
3. School control and type is based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.^[1]
4. National Intelligence University is not listed by the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.^[7]
5. The Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America, while affiliated with Catholic University of America, is not a division of the university.^[24]
6. These institutions are not listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education or by the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.^[1][7]
7. NewU is licensed by the DC Higher Education Licensure Commission.^[37]
8. The Carey Business School is accredited by AACSB and is a division of Johns Hopkins University.^[38]
9. The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies is not independently accredited, as it is a division of Johns Hopkins University.^[39]

Citations

1. "Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education: Institution Lookup". Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Archived from the original on May 10, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
2. . Georgetown University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
3. McGregor 2007, p. 266.
4. Fogle 2009, p. 66.
5. O'Neill & Williams 2003, p. 7.
6. . George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
7. . United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
8. "Founders Online: George Washington's Last Will and Testament, 9 July 1799". founders.archives.gov. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
9. . Gallaudet University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
10. (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
11. . United States Department of Education. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
12. . Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
13. . American Bar Association. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
14. . American University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
15. . Bay Atlantic University. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
16. . Catholic University of America. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
17. . Gallaudet University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
18. . Howard University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
19. . The Institute of World Politics. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
20. "Institution Profile". Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
21. . National Intelligence University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
22. . National Intelligence University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
23. . Dominican House of Studies. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
24. . John Paul II Institute. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
25. . Strayer University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
26. "General Information". Trinity Washington University. from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
27. . University of Phoenix. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
28. . University of the District of Columbia. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
29. . University of the Potomac. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
30. . Wesley Theological Seminary. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
31. . Pedago, LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
32. . Pedago, LLC. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
33. . United States Office of Personnel Management. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
34. . National Defense University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
35. . National Defense University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
36. "DC Higher Education Licensure Commission". helc.osse.dc.gov. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
37. "Meeting Minutes of DC Higher Education Licensure Commissions" (PDF). helc.osse.dc.gov.
38. "About Johns Hopkins Carey Business School". Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023.
39. . Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
40. . St. Paul's College. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
41. "Brown in Washington | Swearer Center. Brown University". www.brown.edu. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
42. "Cornell in Washington | =Cornell in Washington ". sce.cornell.edu/ciw. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
43. "About NYU Washington, D.C. Facilities & Services". New York University. from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
44. "Stanford in Washington | =Stanford in Washington". siw.stanford.edu/. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
45. "The Bush School in Washington | =The Bush School in Washington". bush.tamu.edu/dc/. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
46. "University of California,_Washington_Center | =University of California,_Washington_Center ". www.ucdc.edu. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
47. "Robert H. Smith School of Business Washington, D.C. Campus Info". University of Maryland. from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
48. . George Washington University, GW Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
49. . Corcoran College of the Arts and Design. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
50. . Sisters of the Holy Cross. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
51. . Howard University School of Law. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
52. . Graduate School USA. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
53. . H-Net. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
54. . George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
55. . George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
56. . George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
57. . Southeastern University. Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
58. "Southeastern U. acquired by another school in D.C." The Washington Post. from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.

Bibliography

• Fogle, Jeanne (2009). A Neighborhood Guide to Washington, D.C.'s Hidden History. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. ISBN 9781596296527. OCLC 314841198 – via Google Books.
• McGregor, James Harvey (2007). Washington from the Ground Up. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674026049. OCLC 80358360 – via Internet Archive.
• O'Neill, Paul R.; Williams, Paul K. (2003). Georgetown University. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738515090. OCLC 52615222 – via Google Books.

External links