Quad
Howard UniversityWashington, DC · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Biology/Biological Sciences, General (10% of graduates). 13 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 50% of colleges. 64% of faculty are full-time. Spends $14,944 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

2,266 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 40% of graduates; 47 programs in 22 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.010110% 228
    Graduates in this field earn $60,923 4 years out
  2. Political Science and Government, General 45.10018.1% 183
    Graduates in this field earn $65,733 4 years out
  3. Psychology, General 42.01017.9% 178
    Graduates in this field earn $59,069 4 years out
  4. Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other 09.99997.5% 169
    Graduates in this field earn $59,909 4 years out
  5. Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 51.00006.8% 154
    Graduates in this field earn $60,047 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Health professions, 8.9% → 13% of graduates since 2014–15 (296 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Management Information Systems and Services$103,478 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $78,544

    4 years after completion$103,478
    National median: $83,290Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $91,174 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $20,500 · 58 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. International Business$100,344 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $61,040

    4 years after completion$100,344
    National median: $73,201Above typical

    Median federal debt: $24,000 · 36 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Accounting and Related Services$98,645 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$98,645
    National median: $76,194Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $74,808 · Non-Pell: $84,151(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 26 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$94,136 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $79,646

    4 years after completion$94,136
    National median: $88,910Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $85,318 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $24,000 · 77 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Computer Systems Analysis$92,324 1 yr out

    1 year after completion: $92,324

    4 years after completion: Too few graduates to report

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college13 to 1
13 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 50% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 13 to 1 in its Common Data Set (10,053 students, 781 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

43%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 6% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–925618%
10–1936925%
20–2945231%
30–3918813%
40–491017%
50–99604%
100+252%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Cross-registration
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • Dual enrollment
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, English composition, a foreign language, history, physical education, humanities, intensive writing, math, philosophy, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty64%
National median: 67%About typical
Average faculty salary

$104,419

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$14,944
$14,944
← Lessmore than 73% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$77,457
$77,457
← Lessmore than 72% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Howard University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Howard University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)