2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in District of Columbia
[Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
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Featured Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Anthropology
Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.
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BA in History
Gain a rich foundation of knowledge ranging from early history to modern times with this online bachelor's degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University.
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MA in History
The online Master of Arts in History degree program can deepen your understanding of how history is made.
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2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools
Gallaudet University earned the #1 spot for value among area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools in District of Columbia. Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,654. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $28,125. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $31,541. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Gallaudet University admits about 58% of applicants.
George Washington University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. 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. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $73,749. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.
Georgetown University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,089. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $17,000 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $64,783. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
American University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, landing the #4 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. Students borrow a median of $26,810 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from American University generally make around $44,036. Set against $26,810 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Howard University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,810. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $25,498 in student loans. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Howard University earn a median of $58,495 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,498 median debt. Roughly 41% of applicants are accepted.
More Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 6 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.
