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2026 Best Value Women’s Studies Schools in District of Columbia

[Women's Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/womens-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for women’s studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Women’s Studies Schools in District of Columbia

2026 Best Value Women’s Studies Schools in District of Columbia

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the women’s studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Women’s Studies Schools

1

American University
Washington, DC

$58,771 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$77,370 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in women's studies, no school beat American University this year. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,771. Typical student debt for women's studies graduates is $25,000. Women's Studies graduates of American University earn a median of $46,206 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.

2

Howard University
Washington, DC

$35,810 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,498 Avg Student Debt

$63,066 Median Earnings (10yr)

Howard University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value women's studies schools. Set in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Typical student debt for women's studies graduates is $25,498. Soon after graduation, women's studies degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $58,495. Set against $25,498 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 41%.

View All Women’s Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.