2026 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in District of Columbia

[Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong liberal arts / sciences & humanities education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
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2026 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in liberal arts / sciences & humanities, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
For return on investment in liberal arts / sciences & humanities, no school beat Trinity Washington University this year. Located in the city of Washington, Trinity Washington University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,610. Students borrow a median of $23,323 to complete the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program here. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of Trinity Washington University earn a median of $50,283 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,323 median debt. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of The District Of Columbia earned it the #2 place for liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,662, with out-of-state students paying around $12,514. Students borrow a median of $25,795 to complete the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program here. Soon after graduation, liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree recipients from University Of The District Of Columbia generally make around $57,060. Set against $25,795 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes George Washington University one of the best values for liberal arts / sciences & humanities. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $22,910. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $73,749 early in their careers. Set against $22,910 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Georgetown University one of the best values for liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Georgetown 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 $68,089. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates make about $66,719. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Georgetown University admits about 13% of applicants.
More Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 2 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.