List of colleges and universities in Washington, D.C.

Healy Hall at Georgetown University

Gibbons Hall at the Catholic University of America

Founders Library at Howard University

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 (Graduate School USA, Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and St. Paul's College) and an additional public post-secondary institution (National Defense University).

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] 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] The University of the District of Columbia is Washington, D.C.'s largest public university, with an enrollment of 5,110 students.^[7]

The University of the District of Columbia is Washington, D.C.'s sole land-grant university.^[8] The city has two historically black colleges and universities that are members of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund: Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia.^[9][10] There are also 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.^[11]

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, which 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).^[12] 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 2013)	Founded	Accreditation[7]
American University	Private not-for-profit	Doctoral/research university	12,904	1893[13]	ABA, APA, MSA, NASM, NCATE
Catholic University of America	Private not-for-profit	Research university	6,838	1887[14]	ACEN, ABA, APA, ATS, CCNE, MSA, NASM, NCATE
Gallaudet University	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	1,580	1864[15]	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[16]	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[17]	MSA
National Intelligence University[note 4]	Public (U.S. Government and U.S. Armed Forces)	Special-focus institution	692[18]	1962[19]	MSA[20]
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	117	1902[21]	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[22]	MSA
Strayer University–District of Columbia	Private for-profit	Master's university	1,517	1904[23]	MSA, TEAC
Trinity Washington University	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	2,663	1897[24]	CCNE, MSA, NCATE
University of Phoenix–Washington DC Campus	Private for-profit	Special-focus institution	203	1976[25]	NCA
University of the District of Columbia	Public	Master's university	5,110	1851[26]	ACEN, ABFSE, AND, ASHA, JRCERT, MSA, NCATE
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clark School of Law	Public	Special-focus institution	366	1987[27]	ABA
University of the Potomac–Washington DC Campus	Private for-profit	Special-focus institution	292	1989[28]	MSA
Washington Theological Union[note 6]	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	80	1968[29]	ATS, MSA
Wesley Theological Seminary	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	634	1882[30]	ATS, MSA

List of other active institutions^{[note 7]}

School	Control	Founded	Accreditation
Graduate School USA	Private not-for-profit	1921[31]	MSA candidate[32]
Human Resources University	Public (U.S. Government)	2011[33]	N/A
National Defense University	Public (U.S. Government and U.S. Armed Forces)	1976[34]	MSA[35]
Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies	Private not-for-profit	1943[36]	N/A[note 8]
St. Paul's College	Private not-for-profit	1914[37]	None

Defunct institutions

List of defunct institutions in Washington, D.C.

School	Control	Founded	Closed	Notes
Benjamin Franklin University	Private not-for-profit[38]	1925[38]	1987[38]	Merged with George Washington University in 1987.[38]
Corcoran College of the Arts and Design	Private not-for-profit	1878[39]	2014	Absorbed into George Washington University
Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross	Private not-for-profit[40]	1935[40]	1973[40]	The campus was acquired by Howard University in 1974 to serve as the campus for Howard University School of Law.[41]
Mount Vernon Seminary and College	Private not-for-profit[42]	1875[43][44]	1999[43][44]	Merged with George Washington University in 1999, and currently serves as the institution's Mount Vernon Campus.[42][45]
Southeastern University	Private not-for-profit[46][47]	1879[46]	2009[46][47]	Acquired by Graduate School USA in 2010.[47]

See also

• Higher education in the United States
• List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations
• Lists of American institutions of higher education

References

Explanatory notes

1. Graduate School USA, National Defense University, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and St. Paul's College are not listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education or by the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.^[1]
2. School control and type is based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.^[1]
3. School control and type is based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.^[1]
4. National Intelligence University is not listed by the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.^[7]
5. The Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America, while affiliated with Catholic University of America, is not a division of the university.^[22]
6. Washington Theological Union is set to close in 2015 following the graduation of its final class of students.^[29]
7. These institutions are not listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education or by the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences.^[1][7]
8. The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies is not independently accredited, as it is a division of Johns Hopkins University.^[36]

Citations

1. "Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education: Institution Lookup". Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
2. "History". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
3. McGregor 2007, p. 266.
4. Fogle 2009, p. 66.
5. O'Neill & Williams 2003, p. 7.
6. "GW Overview". George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
7. "College Navigator". United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
8. "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 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
9. "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.
10. "Thurgood Marshall College Fund: Member Schools". Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
11. "Mission & Vision Statements". Gallaudet University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
12. "ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year". American Bar Association. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
13. "About American University: History". American University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
14. "About The Catholic University of America". Catholic University of America. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
15. "Fast Facts 2015". Gallaudet University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
16. "Brief History of Howard University". Howard University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
17. "About IWP: History". The Institute of World Politics. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
18. "Institution Profile". Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
19. "NIU History". National Intelligence University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
20. "Accreditation". National Intelligence University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
21. "History of the Pontifical Faculty". Dominican House of Studies. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
22. "History of the Institute". John Paul II Institute. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
23. "Strayer Buzz: History". Strayer University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
24. "General Information". Trinity Washington University. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
25. "Washington DC Campus". University of Phoenix. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
26. "UDC's History". University of the District of Columbia. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
27. "School of Law History". University of the District of Columbia David A. Clark School of Law. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
28. "The History of the University of the Potomac". University of the Potomac. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
29. "About the Washington Theological Union". Washington Theological Union. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
30. "About Us: History". Wesley Theological Seminary. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
31. "Graduate School USA: Celebrating a Legacy of Achievement". Graduate School USA. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
32. "Accreditation and Approvals". Graduate School USA. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
33. "About Us Human Resources University". United States Office of Personnel Management. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
34. "History of the National Defense University". National Defense University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
35. "Accreditation". National Defense University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
36. "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.
37. "St. Paul's College". St. Paul's College. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
38. "Benjamin Franklin University". George Washington University, GW Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
39. "About the College: History". Corcoran College of the Arts and Design. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
40. "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.
41. "About the School of Law: History". Howard University School of Law. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
42. "Another Women’s School Absorbed". H-Net. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
43. "Mount Vernon Campus". George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
44. "Keeping the Legacy Alive". George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
45. "2010 Mount Vernon Campus Plan". George Washington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
46. "About SEU". Southeastern University. Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
47. "Southeastern U. acquired by another school in D.C.". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2015.

Bibliography

• Fogle, Jeanne (2009). A Neighborhood Guide to Washington, D.C.'s Hidden History. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. ISBN 9781596296527. OCLC 314841198 – via Google Books.
• McGregor, James Harvey (2007). Washington from the Ground Up. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674026049. OCLC 80358360 – via Google Books.
• O'Neill, Paul R.; Williams, Paul K. (2003). Georgetown University. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738515090. OCLC 52615222 – via Google Books.

External links

• United States Department of Education listing of accredited institutions in Washington, D.C.