2026 Best Value Philosophy Schools in District of Columbia
[Philosophy](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for philosophy students.
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2026 Best Value Philosophy Schools in District of Columbia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the philosophy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Philosophy Schools
Leading the list is Catholic University Of America, our #1 best value for philosophy in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $58,378 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for philosophy graduates is $23,843. Soon after graduation, philosophy degree recipients from Catholic University Of America generally make around $65,120. That is a strong return on a $23,843 median debt. Catholic University Of America admits about 83% of applicants.
George Washington University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in philosophy, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Students borrow a median of $22,910 to complete the philosophy program here. Philosophy graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $73,749 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,910 median debt. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
American University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value philosophy schools. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,771. Students borrow a median of $24,139 to complete the philosophy program here. Early-career philosophy graduates make about $58,030. Set against $24,139 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Howard University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value philosophy schools. Set in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,810. Typical student debt for philosophy graduates is $25,498. Soon after graduation, philosophy degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $58,495. That is a strong return on a $25,498 median debt. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
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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 · 6 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.
