There are nineteen colleges and universities in
Washington, D.C. , that are listed under the
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education .
[note 1] These institutions include five
research universities , four
master's universities , and ten
special-focus institutions . Sixteen of Washington, D.C.'s post-secondary institutions are private, of which three are
for-profit . Only three of the city's post-secondary institutions listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education are public. In addition to the institutions listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, Washington, D.C., has three additional private not-for-profit post-secondary institutions (
Johns Hopkins University 's
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies ,
NewU University , and
St. Paul's College ) and two additional public post-secondary institutions (
National Defense University and the Inter-American Defense College).
Washington, D.C.'s oldest post-secondary institution is
Georgetown University , founded in 1789.
[2]
[3] Georgetown University is also the oldest
Jesuit and
Catholic university in the United States.
[4]
[5] Founded in 1821,
George Washington University is the city's largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrollment, as it had 25,653 students as of the spring of 2013.
[6]
[7]
George Washington left shares to endow a university in D.C. which became George Washington University
[8] According to the
United States Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences ,
Washington Theological Union is the city's smallest with an enrollment of 80.
[7]
In total, there are six Catholic post-secondary institutions listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education in Washington, D.C.:
Catholic University of America , Georgetown University, the
Dominican House of Studies , the
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America ,
Trinity Washington University , and the
Washington Theological Union . In addition,
Gallaudet University is a post-secondary institution for the deaf and hard of hearing, and its curriculum is officially bilingual in both English and
American Sign Language .
[9]
The
University of the District of Columbia is Washington, D.C.'s largest public university (with an enrollment of 5,110 students) and its oldest
historically black university .
[7] It is also DC's sole
land-grant university .
[10] The other HBCU in the district, a member of the
Thurgood Marshall College Fund alongside UDC, is
Howard University , one of the top-ranked HBCUs in the nation.
[11]
[12]
Washington, D.C., has three medical schools:
George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences ,
Georgetown University School of Medicine , and
Howard University College of Medicine . There are six law schools that are
accredited by the
American Bar Association : the
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law ,
Columbus School of Law (
Catholic University of America ),
Howard University School of Law ,
George Washington University Law School ,
Georgetown University Law Center , and
Washington College of Law (
American University ).
[13] Eighteen of Washington, D.C.'s post-secondary institutions are officially recognized by the
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). Most are accredited by
multiple agencies , such as the
American Psychological Association (APA), the
American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA), the
Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS), the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Institutions
List of active institutions
School
Control
[note 2]
Type
[note 3]
Enrollment
[7] (spring 2018)
Founded
Accreditation
[7]
American University
Private not-for-profit
Doctoral/research university
12,904
1893
[14]
ABA ,
APA ,
MSA ,
NASM ,
NCATE
Bay Atlantic University
Private not-for-profit
Not Classified
130
2014
[15]
ACICS
Catholic University of America
Private not-for-profit
Research university
6,078
1887
[16]
ACEN ,
ABA ,
APA ,
ATS ,
CCNE ,
MSA ,
NASM ,
NCATE
Gallaudet University
Private not-for-profit
Doctoral/research university
1,580
1864
[17]
APA ,
ASHA ,
MSA ,
NCATE
George Washington University
Private not-for-profit
Research university
25,653
1821
[6]
ABA ,
APTA ,
APA ,
ASHA ,
CAHME ,
CCNE ,
CEPH ,
LCME ,
MSA ,
NASM ,
NCATE
Georgetown University
Private not-for-profit
Research university
17,357
1789
[2]
ACME ,
ABA ,
ACPE ,
CAHME ,
CCNE ,
CEA ,
COA ,
LCME ,
MSA
Howard University
Private not-for-profit
Research university
10,002
1867
[18]
ACPE ,
ABA ,
ADA ,
AND ,
AOTA ,
APTA ,
APA ,
ASHA ,
ATS ,
CCNE ,
JRCERT ,
LCME ,
MSA ,
NASAD ,
NASM ,
NAST ,
NCATE
Institute of World Politics
Private not-for-profit
Special-focus institution
140 (Spring 2015)
1990
[19]
MSA
Inter-American Defense College
Public (
Organization of American States and the
Inter-American Defense Board )
Special-focus institution
64
1962
ACICS
National Intelligence University
[note 4]
Public (
U.S. Government and
U.S. Armed Forces )
Special-focus institution
692
[20]
1962
[21]
MSA
[22]
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies
Private not-for-profit
Special-focus institution
117
1902
[23]
ATS ,
MSA
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America
[note 5]
Private not-for-profit
Special-focus institution
103
1988
[24]
MSA
Strayer University–District of Columbia
Private for-profit
Master's university
1,517
1904
[25]
MSA ,
TEAC
Trinity Washington University
Private not-for-profit
Master's university
2,100
1897
[26]
CCNE ,
MSA ,
NCATE
University of Phoenix–Washington DC Campus
Private for-profit
Special-focus institution
203
1976
[27]
HLC
University of the District of Columbia
Public
Research university
4,500
1851
[28]
ACEN ,
ABFSE ,
AND ,
ASHA ,
JRCERT ,
MSA ,
NCATE ,
ASHA ,
ABA
University of the Potomac–Washington DC Campus
Private for-profit
Special-focus institution
292
1989
[29]
MSA
Wesley Theological Seminary
Private not-for-profit
Special-focus institution
634
1882
[30]
ATS ,
MSA
Other active institutions
Active Institutions with satellite programs
Defunct institutions
See also
References
Explanatory notes
Citations
^
a
b
c
d
"Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education: Institution Lookup" .
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching . Archived from
the original on May 10, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
"History" . Georgetown University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
McGregor 2007 , p. 266.
^
Fogle 2009 , p. 66.
^
O'Neill & Williams 2003 , p. 7.
^
a
b
"GW Overview" . George Washington University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
"College Navigator" .
United States Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Founders Online: George Washington's Last Will and Testament, 9 July 1799" . founders.archives.gov . Retrieved April 26, 2023 .
^
"Mission & Vision Statements" . Gallaudet University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Map of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities" (PDF) . United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Archived from
the original (PDF) on October 8, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities" . United States Department of Education. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Thurgood Marshall College Fund: Member Schools" .
Thurgood Marshall College Fund . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year" .
American Bar Association . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"About American University: History" . American University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"History of BAU" . Bay Atlantic University. Archived from
the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2021 .
^
"About The Catholic University of America" . Catholic University of America. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Fast Facts 2015" . Gallaudet University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Brief History of Howard University" . Howard University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"About IWP: History" . The Institute of World Politics. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Institution Profile" .
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching .
Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"NIU History" . National Intelligence University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Accreditation" . National Intelligence University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"History of the Pontifical Faculty" . Dominican House of Studies. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
"History of the Institute" . John Paul II Institute. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Strayer Buzz: History" . Strayer University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"General Information" . Trinity Washington University.
Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Washington DC Campus" . University of Phoenix. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"UDC's History" . University of the District of Columbia. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"The History of the University of the Potomac" . University of the Potomac. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"About Us: History" . Wesley Theological Seminary. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Quantic School of Business and Technology History" . Pedago, LLC. Archived from
the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2022 .
^
"Quantic's Degrees and Certifications" . Pedago, LLC. Archived from
the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022 .
^
"About Us Human Resources University" .
United States Office of Personnel Management . Archived from
the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015 .
^
"History of the National Defense University" . National Defense University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Accreditation" . National Defense University. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"DC Higher Education Licensure Commission" . helc.osse.dc.gov . Retrieved May 15, 2021 .
^
"Meeting Minutes of DC Higher Education Licensure Commissions" (PDF) . helc.osse.dc.gov .
^
a
b
"About Johns Hopkins Carey Business School" . Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Archived from
the original on February 20, 2023.
^
a
b
"About SAIS: A Global Presence, an International Perspective" . Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"St. Paul's College" . St. Paul's College. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Brown in Washington | Swearer Center. Brown University" . www.brown.edu .
Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020 .
^
"Cornell in Washington | =Cornell in Washington " . sce.cornell.edu/ciw . Retrieved July 24, 2020 .
^
"About NYU Washington, D.C. Facilities & Services" . New York University .
Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020 .
^
"Stanford in Washington | =Stanford in Washington" . siw.stanford.edu/ . Retrieved July 24, 2020 .
^
"The Bush School in Washington | =The Bush School in Washington" . bush.tamu.edu/dc/ . Retrieved April 18, 2021 .
^
"University of California,_Washington_Center | =University of California,_Washington_Center " . www.ucdc.edu . Retrieved July 24, 2020 .
^
"Robert H. Smith School of Business Washington, D.C. Campus Info" . University of Maryland.
Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2020 .
^
a
b
c
d
"Benjamin Franklin University" .
George Washington University , GW Encyclopedia. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"About the College: History" . Corcoran College of the Arts and Design. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
c
"Closed Colleges: Sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross" .
Sisters of the Holy Cross . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"About the School of Law: History" . Howard University School of Law. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"Graduate School USA: Celebrating a Legacy of Achievement" . Graduate School USA. Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
"Another Women's School Absorbed" .
H-Net . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
"Mount Vernon Campus" .
George Washington University . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
"Keeping the Legacy Alive" .
George Washington University . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
"2010 Mount Vernon Campus Plan" .
George Washington University . Archived from
the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
c
"About SEU" . Southeastern University. Archived from
the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
^
a
b
c
"Southeastern U. acquired by another school in D.C."
The Washington Post .
Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015 .
Bibliography
External links
Research universities Master’s colleges and universities Specialized colleges Former institutions