District of Columbia acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
District of Columbia is a public university in Washington, D.C. that admits most qualified applicants (around 75%), which puts it in the moderately selective range. A rate like this means it admits more applicants than it rejects; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what District of Columbia weighs, where it ranks among Washington, D.C. schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1120, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at District of Columbia?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into District of Columbia?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into District of Columbia, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into District of Columbia?
At District of Columbia, your real chance depends on far more than the published 75% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for District of Columbia in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is District of Columbia hard to get into?
District of Columbia is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 75% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into District of Columbia?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at District of Columbia, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. District of Columbia reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for District of Columbia?
District of Columbia does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1120. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at District of Columbia.
Your chances at District of Columbia by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at District of Columbia for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at District of Columbia with a 3.1 GPA and a 1060 SAT?
About 92% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1060 SAT, the middle of District of Columbia's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1120 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/district-of-columbia.
How to get into District of Columbia
Built from District of Columbia's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into District of Columbia comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at District of Columbia carries about a 3.18 core GPA and a 1070 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
District of Columbia rates rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by District of Columbia's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.udc.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
What District of Columbia looks for
What District of Columbia weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
District of Columbia signals that it values rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from District of Columbia's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at District of Columbia
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does District of Columbia cost after financial aid?
District of Columbia's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $20,437 per year. Tuition and fees are $5,662 for DC residents and $12,514 for out-of-state students, a $6,852 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $10,648 a year, and it ranges from $10,268 for families earning under $30,000 to null for families earning over $110,000. 36% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do District of Columbia graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median District of Columbia student who received federal aid earns $44,236 a year, up from $36,358 at six years. 33% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 68% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $24,872; 19% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How District of Columbia compares in Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia ranks #5 most selective of 6 schools in Washington, D.C. in our database.
Among the 6 Washington, D.C. schools we track, District of Columbia ranks #5 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Georgetown University (13%) and Howard University (41%) sit nearby, which makes Washington, D.C. a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to District of Columbia
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If District of Columbia is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Coastal Carolina University, Miami University (Ohio), and Oklahoma State University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
How much does District of Columbia cost after financial aid?
The average net price at District of Columbia, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $10,648 a year against a sticker price of about $20,437. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $10,268 on average.
What do District of Columbia graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering District of Columbia are $44,236 a year among students who received federal aid, and 33% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does District of Columbia value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, District of Columbia weighs rigor of secondary school record and academic GPA most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does District of Columbia favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, District of Columbia generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at District of Columbia?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at District of Columbia specifically.
Is District of Columbia test-optional?
Test-optional policies change year to year, so confirm District of Columbia's current policy on its official admissions site. If you do submit scores, the admitted 75th-percentile SAT is around 1120; if you do not, more weight falls on your GPA, course rigor, and essays.
How does residency affect admission to District of Columbia?
As a public university, District of Columbia typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.