2026 Best Value Finance Schools in District of Columbia
[Finance](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/finance-financial-management/finance/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for finance students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Finance Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in finance, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Finance Schools
For return on investment in finance, no school beat George Washington University this year. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. Finance graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans. Finance graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $73,833 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 47%.
A rank of #2 makes Georgetown University one of the best values for finance. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,089 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $16,877 to complete the finance program here. Early-career finance graduates make about $108,446. Set against $16,877 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 13%.
American University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. American 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 $58,771. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $22,625. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from American University generally make around $83,505. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. American University admits about 62% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in finance will find it at Howard University, which ranked #4. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $19,959. Finance graduates of Howard University earn a median of $81,074 early in their careers. Set against $19,959 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 41%.
View All Finance Rankings >
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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
