2026 Best Value Accounting Schools in District of Columbia

[Accounting](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/accounting/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for accounting students.
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2026 Best Value Accounting Schools in District of Columbia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the accounting degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Accounting Schools
Strayer University Global Region tops our 2026 list of the best value accounting schools in District of Columbia. Set in the city of Washington, Strayer University Global Region is a large private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,920. Typical student debt for accounting graduates is $54,989. Accounting graduates of Strayer University Global Region earn a median of $56,778 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Catholic University Of America earned it the #2 place for accounting. Located in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $58,378. Students borrow a median of $25,725 to complete the accounting program here. Accounting graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $69,915 early in their careers. Set against $25,725 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at George Washington University earned it the #3 place for accounting. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Typical student debt for accounting graduates is $24,875. Accounting graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $72,719 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 47%.
A rank of #4 makes Georgetown University one of the best values for accounting. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,089 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete the accounting program here. Early-career accounting graduates make about $89,564. Set against $17,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes American University one of the best values for accounting. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Accounting graduates carry a median of $24,139 in student loans. Early-career accounting graduates make about $78,613. Set against $24,139 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Howard University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value accounting schools. 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. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete the accounting program here. Accounting graduates of Howard University earn a median of $58,495 early in their careers. Set against $25,498 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.