Howard University
Howard University is a private, historically Black research university in Washington, D.C., founded in 1867 and long known as 'The Mecca' for the generations of Black leaders, scholars, and artists it has educated — from Thurgood Marshall and Toni Morrison to Vice President Kamala Harris. Its roughly 11,100 undergraduates are about 79% Black and 71% women, and admission has grown competitive: Howard admitted about 42% of more than 37,000 applicants for its most recent class, who carry an average high school GPA near 3.68. The university is test-optional, and its most popular fields span business, the health professions, communications, and the social and biological sciences.
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Howard admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Howard offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~2.0× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Howard is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Admissions Factors
How Howard weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Howard's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Howard admissions
Is it hard to get into Howard University?＋
Howard is moderately selective, admitting about 42.2% of applicants in the most recent cycle — roughly 15,700 offers out of more than 37,000 applications, with about 2,490 enrolling. It is not a reach-only school, but admission has grown competitive: enrolled first-years average a 3.68 high school GPA, and the rigor of your coursework, your grades, and test scores (if submitted) are all weighed as very important factors.
What GPA do you need to get into Howard University?＋
Enrolled first-year students at Howard report an average high school GPA of about 3.68. There is no hard cutoff, but academic GPA and the rigor of your high school record are both weighed as very important factors, so a strong, challenging course load matters as much as the number itself.
Does Howard University require the SAT or ACT?＋
No — Howard is test-optional, so you may apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores and will not be at a disadvantage. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored between 1050 and 1270 on the SAT and 20 to 26 on the ACT.
Is a 1250 SAT good enough for Howard?＋
Yes — a 1250 falls inside Howard's middle-50% SAT range of 1050–1270, just below the 75th-percentile mark of 1270, so it is competitive against enrolled students who submitted scores. Only about 7% of those students scored 1400 or above. Because Howard is test-optional, a score in this range strengthens an application but is never required.
Can I apply to Howard early decision?＋
Yes. Howard offers a binding Early Decision plan as well as a nonbinding Early Action option. In the most recent cycle Howard received 430 Early Decision applications and admitted 363 of them, an Early Decision admit rate of roughly 84% — well above the 42.2% overall rate.
How much does Howard University cost?＋
Annual tuition and required fees are about $38,936, with on-campus housing and food adding roughly $18,982 before books and personal expenses. About 65% of full-time first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, with an average need-based package near $29,925; Howard meets about 59% of demonstrated financial need on average.
What are the most popular majors at Howard?＋
Business is the largest field at about 16% of bachelor's degrees, followed by the health professions at 13% and communication/journalism at 12%. The social sciences (11%), biological sciences (10%), engineering and computing (8%), and psychology (8%) round out Howard's most popular programs.
Does the application essay matter at Howard?＋
It can help, but it is not a top factor. Howard rates the application essay as 'considered' in its holistic review — below academics, test scores, and character/personal qualities, which carry more weight. With a 42% acceptance rate, a specific, well-revised essay is still a meaningful way to round out an application once your grades and rigor are in range.
Source: Howard University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Howard. Banner photo by Fourandsixty, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).