Howard University
About
Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is the only HBCU with R1 designation.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 148 Title IV programs, 29 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 119 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing29 · 19.6%
- No Data119 · 80.4%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 29
Action history · 78
- Sep 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Sep 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Sep 2025Initial AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
- Aug 2025Renewal of AccreditationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RADTT) - Programs for radiation therapists
- Aug 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused ReviewAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Predoctoral
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,681 students received $27.8M in Pell grants, alongside $295.5M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 2,225 borrowers who entered repayment, 61 (2.7%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Howard
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 11
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus41
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Howard vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Howard selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectHoward University | 70% | — | 14,890 | $47,919 | R2 Research |
American University | 75% | 62.0% | 12,321 | $41,945 | R2 Research |
Azusa Pacific University | 62% | 88.4% | 6,272 | $19,798 | R2 Research |
Brigham Young University | 81% | 67.8% | 35,873 | $14,487 | R2 Research |
Chapman University | 82% | 65.4% | 9,760 | $47,527 | R2 Research |
Claremont Graduate University | — | — | 1,771 | — | R2 Research |
Clark Atlanta University | 49% | 64.2% | 4,252 | $35,115 | R2 Research |
Clark University | 77% | 39.5% | 3,925 | $27,711 | R2 Research |
Clarkson University | 75% | 77.4% | 3,348 | $31,955 | R2 Research |
Creighton University | 83% | 79.8% | 8,581 | $32,380 | R2 Research |
DePaul University | 68% | 75.9% | 21,210 | $29,141 | R2 Research |
Duquesne University | 77% | 83.6% | 8,234 | $34,978 | R2 Research |
Florida Institute of Technology | 62% | 57.7% | 8,992 | $35,300 | R2 Research |
Fordham University | 82% | 59.3% | 16,150 | $42,581 | R2 Research |
Illinois Institute of Technology | 75% | 54.9% | 8,834 | $19,353 | R2 Research |
Lehigh University | 88% | 25.9% | 7,692 | $33,549 | R2 Research |
Loma Linda University | — | — | 4,210 | — | R2 Research |
Long Island University | 55% | 86.2% | 16,689 | $23,901 | R2 Research |
Loyola Marymount University | 79% | 45.1% | 10,179 | $45,723 | R2 Research |
Loyola University Chicago | 75% | 81.6% | 17,384 | $35,196 | R2 Research |
Marquette University | 83% | 81.3% | 11,746 | $29,237 | R2 Research |
Mercer University | 70% | 68.9% | 9,196 | $22,350 | R2 Research |
Nova Southeastern University | 63% | 73.2% | 20,910 | $31,303 | R2 Research |
Rochester Institute of Technology | 71% | 66.9% | 17,098 | $29,694 | R2 Research |
Saint Louis University | 80% | 75.0% | 17,059 | $27,075 | R2 Research |
Seton Hall University | 69% | 73.3% | 9,571 | $28,921 | R2 Research |
Southern Methodist University | 84% | 63.3% | 12,116 | $41,778 | R2 Research |
Stevens Institute of Technology | 87% | 47.6% | 8,469 | $40,468 | R2 Research |
Teachers College at Columbia University | — | — | 4,401 | — | R2 Research |
Texas Christian University | 85% | 44.5% | 12,938 | $33,531 | R2 Research |
The Catholic University of America | 79% | 82.8% | 5,243 | $32,798 | R2 Research |
The New School | 69% | 63.5% | 9,068 | $55,359 | R2 Research |
Thomas Jefferson University | 69% | 81.0% | 8,238 | $28,163 | R2 Research |
University of Dayton | 80% | 65.4% | 10,506 | $31,236 | R2 Research |
University of New England | 70% | 91.6% | 6,573 | $37,109 | R2 Research |
University of San Diego | 84% | 52.4% | 9,714 | $31,265 | R2 Research |
University of Tulsa | 72% | 61.5% | 3,914 | $23,678 | R2 Research |
Villanova University | 92% | 27.0% | 10,041 | $44,876 | R2 Research |
Wake Forest University | 89% | 21.7% | 9,322 | $28,746 | R2 Research |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 90% | 60.2% | 7,584 | $43,273 | R2 Research |
| Peer group median | 77% | 65.4% | 9,259 | $32,380 |
Howard Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
Institutional Research and Assessment at Howard University operates under the Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer with a two-fold mission. The Institutional Research team supports the university community by reporting timely, accurate, and consistent data for internal decision-makers and external reporting requirements. The Assessment team supports assessment activities across campus, helping to continuously improve academic and administrative programs through thoughtful planning and data-driven decisions.
Visit IR office page- Daphne B. BernardAssociate Provost, Institutional Accreditation and Assessment
- Daphne B. Bernard, PharmD, RPhAssociate Provost, Institutional Accreditation and Assessment
- Kyron CarterDirector of Institutional Research
- Kyron Carter, MBADirector of Institutional Research
- Pavithra SureshDirector of Assessment & Survey Research
- Pavithra Suresh, Ph.D.Director of Assessment & Survey Research
- Amleset AbrhaleSenior Research Analyst
- Ruth Charlene FranksAdministrative Officer
- Ruth Charlene FranksAdministrative Officer Institutional Research & Assessment
- Ruth Charlene Franks, MDiv.Administrative Officer Institutional Research & Assessment
- Anil LalwaniAssociate Director of Assessment
- Anil Lalwani, Ph.D.Associate Director of Assessment
- Fnu SonumData Analyst
- Alexus LasterGraduate Assistant
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookHoward University Annual Report2022The 2021-2022 Howard University Annual Report covers key developments, accomplishments, and challenges faced by the university during this period. Highlights include awards and accolades for students and faculty, financial performance achieving consecutive years of positive results, significant investments in infrastructure, and strategic initiatives to enhance student opportunities and academic programs. The report also discusses the resilience shown by the university community in navigating obstacles such as the pandemic and security threats. Howard University remains committed to its mission of advancing social justice and providing quality education to its diverse student body.howard.edu
- GlossaryGlossary of TermsThe glossary of terms provided by Howard University's Office of Institutional Research and Assessment covers key concepts related to assessment processes used to measure educational outcomes. Terms such as student learning outcomes, formative and summative assessments, and direct versus indirect assessments are defined, highlighting their roles in evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs and student achievement.ira.howard.edu
- Strategic planHoward University Strategic Planning ProcessHoward University's strategic planning process aims to create a comprehensive roadmap to achieve the institution's goals by engaging the community. The plan, rooted in principles of transparency and inclusivity, seeks to increase HU's financial sustainability, enhance its reputation as a top educational destination, and improve organizational processes. The process began in October 2024 and is set to conclude with a finalized plan in 2025, focusing on themes like maximizing strength and enhancing visibility.strategicplan.howard.edu
Frequently asked questions about Howard University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Howard.
What is the graduation rate at Howard University?
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