2026 Best Value International Business/Trade/Commerce Schools in District of Columbia

[International Business/Trade/Commerce](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/international-business/international-business-trade-commerce/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong international business/trade/commerce education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value international business/trade/commerce schools.
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2026 Best Value International Business/Trade/Commerce Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in international business/trade/commerce, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value International Business/Trade/Commerce Schools
For return on investment in international business/trade/commerce, no school beat George Washington University this year. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the international business/trade/commerce program here. International Business/trade/commerce graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $70,856 early in their careers. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Georgetown University earned it the #2 place for international business/trade/commerce. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,089. Typical student debt for international business/trade/commerce graduates is $14,447. International Business/trade/commerce graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of $105,877 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,447 median debt. The acceptance rate is 13%.
American University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in international business/trade/commerce, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Typical student debt for international business/trade/commerce graduates is $24,139. International Business/trade/commerce graduates of American University earn a median of $54,585 early in their careers. Set against $24,139 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. American University admits about 62% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in international business/trade/commerce will find it at Howard University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $35,810. Typical student debt for international business/trade/commerce graduates is $24,000. Early-career international business/trade/commerce graduates make about $61,040. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 41%.
More International Business/Trade/Commerce Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.