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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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