What a friend would tell you
What Howard is looking for
Howard values applicants who understand the historical weight of the institution and can articulate what they will contribute to the legacy, not just what they will take from it. Community involvement and service track records speak louder than test scores here. Connect your identity and ambitions to Howard's specific mission.
What students wish they'd known
Administrative bureaucracy is a persistent frustration: financial aid delays, registration issues, and housing uncertainty are common complaints. Some facilities, particularly residence halls and older classroom buildings, need renovation. DC cost of living is high and the surrounding neighborhood, while improving, still has safety concerns after dark.
Howard might be a fit if...
- You want to be surrounded by ambitious Black peers across every discipline, from engineering to fine arts
- You see college as preparation for leadership within and beyond the Black community
- You want DC internship access paired with a campus culture rooted in history and pride
Howard Admissions Strategy
1.2x (est.)
Early Decision Advantage
Early Decision admits at 1.2x the RD rate. The trade: ED is binding. Apply only if you'd say yes on the spot.
Early Decision: the numbers
Howard's Early Decision acceptance rate is 49.4% (est.) vs 35% overall. ED is binding. If you are admitted, you are committing to enroll. This signals strong commitment and gives a meaningful admissions advantage.
Deadlines: ED November 15 · EA November 15 · RD February 1
Deadlines: ED November 15 · EA November 15 · RD February 1
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Not Tracked
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Optional on campus
Yield Rate
42%
42% of admits enroll, which is typical for a selective school. Waitlists here move every year.
Want to boost your odds at Howard and every reach on your list, so admissions stops feeling like a coin flip?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Howard
$87,000
Sticker Price
$9,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. 80% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Howard spends about $46,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, roughly 3x the $15K national average. You see it in class sizes, faculty access, and research budgets.
What Howard Graduates Get
$50,000
Avg Starting Salary
88%
Employed or in Grad School
60%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (70%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Howard Campus & Culture
The Campus
Howard's 256-acre campus occupies a hilltop in northwest Washington, DC, centered on The Yard, a grassy quad flanked by the iconic Founders Library with its clock tower. Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel and the Cramton Auditorium anchor the south end. The Georgia Avenue corridor connects campus to the surrounding Shaw and U Street neighborhoods.
The Social Scene
Homecoming legend, DC activism, Black cultural excellence
Howard Traditions & Trivia
Yardfest
During October Homecoming, the main campus (called The Yard) hosts a free two-day outdoor concert that has featured Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Drake; it is considered one of the premier HBCU homecoming events in the country.
Soul Food Thursday
For more than 45 years, the dining hall has served a full spread of macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, and sweet potato pie every Thursday, a weekly tradition that feels like a family meal.
Academics at Howard
What Howard is known for
HBCU excellence, DC location, homecoming culture, political science
Most popular majors at Howard
Standout programs
Business, engineering, medicine/health sciences, communications
How the curriculum works
School-based system with major/minor options
Recommended high school courses
4 years English, 3 years Math, 3 years Science, 3 years History/Social Studies, 2 years Foreign Language
Notable Howard Alumni
Thurgood Marshall
First Black Supreme Court Justice, Howard Law 1933
Chadwick Boseman
Black Panther star, Howard BFA 2000
Toni Morrison
Howard BA 1953, became a Nobel laureate in Literature
Kamala Harris
49th Vice President, Howard class of 1986
Zora Neale Hurston
Studied at Howard before writing 'Their Eyes Were Watching God'
Elijah Cummings
Longtime congressman who chaired the House Oversight Committee
If you like Howard, also consider
Spelman College
Premier HBCU for women, Atlanta location, similarly strong culture of excellence
Morehouse College
All-male HBCU counterpart in Atlanta with comparable legacy
Georgetown University
Same DC location, Jesuit tradition, strong policy programs
University of Virginia
Top public university two hours south with growing diversity commitments
Emory University
Strong pre-med and humanities in Atlanta with significant Black student community