2026 Best Value General Psychology Schools in District of Columbia

[General Psychology](/majors/psychology/general-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general psychology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general psychology schools.
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2026 Best Value General Psychology Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general psychology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Psychology Schools
For return on investment in general psychology, no school beat Trinity Washington University this year. Trinity Washington University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,610. Students borrow a median of $32,866 to complete the general psychology program here. Soon after graduation, general psychology degree recipients from Trinity Washington University generally make around $26,065. Set against $32,866 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Gallaudet University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general psychology, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Washington, Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,654. Students borrow a median of $14,097 to complete the general psychology program here. General Psychology graduates of Gallaudet University earn a median of $20,185 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Gallaudet University admits about 58% of applicants.
Catholic University Of America came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general psychology schools. Set in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,378. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the general psychology program here. General Psychology graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $24,106 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
University Of The District Of Columbia came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general psychology schools. Set in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,662, compared with $12,514 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general psychology graduates is $32,751. General Psychology graduates of University Of The District Of Columbia earn a median of $57,060 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $32,751 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general psychology will find it at George Washington University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. General Psychology graduates carry a median of $22,910 in student loans. Early-career general psychology graduates make about $73,749. That is a strong return on a $22,910 median debt. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.
Georgetown University earned the #6 position for value in general psychology this year. Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,089. Typical student debt for general psychology graduates is $17,500. Early-career general psychology graduates make about $51,959. That is a strong return on a $17,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 13%.
American University placed #7 among the best values for general psychology. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. General Psychology graduates carry a median of $23,799 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general psychology degree recipients from American University generally make around $25,773. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Howard University landed the #8 spot for general psychology value this year. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $35,810 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the general psychology program here. Soon after graduation, general psychology degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $18,934. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.