Understanding Howard University's Tuition and Cost of Attendance

For prospective students and their families, understanding the cost of attendance at Howard University is essential for financial planning. Howard University, like many other institutions, provides an estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) to help students anticipate their expenses for one academic year. This article breaks down the components of the COA, offering insights into tuition, fees, and other associated costs.

What is the Cost of Attendance (COA)?

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimated cost to attend one year of college. The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an average estimate of what it costs a typical undergraduate student to attend Howard University for one academic year. Your cost of attendance estimate doesn't only include tuition. It also takes basic living and commuting expenses into account. Your cost of attendance is made up of two different types of costs: Direct Costs and Indirect Costs. The components include tuition, fees, housing, food, transportation, books and supplies, personal expenses, and other costs, depending on individual choices. These estimates do not reflect your actual bill as not all components are directly charged by the university. To review the direct charges you may see on your bill, please refer to the university's Official Notice of Student Charges.

Direct Costs

Direct Costs - Items that will appear on your University bill, such as tuition, fees, and room and board (if you live on campus). This is the cost of a Howard University education.

Costs that appear on your bill from Howard University include:

Tuition: The most significant direct cost is tuition. Howard University's tuition is $38,936. The typical cost for undergraduate tuition and fees is approximately $32,878 per year. Howard’s Chief Financial Officer Stephen Graham announced a 7.5 percent tuition increase for the 2023-2024 school year, raising undergraduate tuition to $32,878.

Read also: Tuition and Fees at Howard
Mandatory Fees: In addition to tuition, students are required to pay mandatory fees.
Housing: For students living on campus, housing costs are a direct expense.
Food: On-campus students also incur direct costs for meal plans. The number reflected here is the cost of the most popular meal plan chosen by students who live on campus.

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs - Items that will not appear on your bill, but are estimated costs associated with going to college and should be included in your budget. These include items like books, transportation and personal/miscellaneous expenses.)

Costs that do NOT appear on your bill from Howard University include:

Books and Supplies: This is an estimate of the cost of books and supplies for a typical student for the entire academic year. You will not be billed directly by Howard University for books or supplies. You can purchase these items at the Campus Store. The supply cost assumes that students do not have a computer, and allows for a student to purchase a personal computer. It's estimated that you'll spend about $1,360 on books and supplies each year.
Transportation: This is an estimate of the cost of traveling to and from campus or the cost of operating and maintaining a vehicle. The cost also assumes 3 round trips bus/plane tickets to and from campus to your family’s home. Unless you buy a Howard University parking permit, you will not be billed directly for transportation costs. This line item will not appear on your bill.
Personal Expenses: This is an estimate of costs for clothing, haircuts, entertainment, etc. for the year. Money spent on these types of items will vary from student to student. These items will not appear on your Howard University bill. Miscellaneous: This covers personal expenses, transportation, and other indirect costs.

Estimated Costs for Undergraduates

To provide a clearer picture, here's a breakdown of the estimated costs for undergraduate students based on their living arrangements:

On-Campus

Tuition: \$37,996
Mandatory Fees: \$940
Housing: \$12,380
Food: \$6,602
Books and Supplies: \$1,220
Transportation: \$1,154
Personal/Misc Expenses: \$2,494

Estimated Cost of Attendance: \$64,142

Off-Campus

Tuition: \$37,996
Mandatory Fees: \$940
Housing: \$18,050
Food: \$6,700
Books and Supplies: \$1,220
Transportation: \$3,020
Personal/Misc Expenses: \$3,986

Estimated Cost of Attendance: \$73,268

At-Home

Tuition: \$37,996
Mandatory Fees: \$940
Housing: \$6,280
Food: \$6,404
Books and Supplies: \$1,220
Transportation: \$1,088
Personal/Misc Expenses: \$2,324

Additional Costs

It's important to factor in potential additional costs:

Loan Fees: If a family/student opts to take out a loan, federal fees are associated with doing so. There is an origination fee of 1.059% for Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized student loans, which is taken out of the loan before funds are sent to Howard University. Some of our parents opt to take advantage of the Parent PLUS loan.
- Direct Stafford - Loan Fees: \$36
- Direct Parent PLUS - Loan Fees: \$1,320

Tuition Trends: Past and Future

During the 2021-2022 academic school year, according to Howard University’s financial services, the estimated total cost of attendance was $49,270. Howard’s Chief Financial Officer Stephen Graham announced a 7.5 percent tuition increase for the 2023-2024 school year, raising undergraduate tuition to $32,878. Graham doesn’t believe the tuition increase will affect future admissions. He said that for this school year, there were more than 32,000 applicants, the most the university has ever seen. The letter mentioned that despite the upcoming tuition increase, Howard’s tuition is still lower than most other institutions.

Looking forward, it seems there will be no pause in tuition increases for upcoming school years nationwide. According to MEFA, an organization dedicated to college affordability, the class of 2025 will be estimated to pay a total of $44,310.61 per year for out-of-state public universities and $58,384.51 for all four-year private universities. Compared with the national average cost of tuition of $47,097, Howard University is cheaper.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Financial aid is money used to help students and their families pay for college. Financial aid can come from the federal government, the state where the student lives, the school the student attends, or a nonprofit or private organization. Financial aid is used to cover all educational expenses. Howard University met 21% of its students’ financial aid need.

The average need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-year students at Howard University was $9,388. Additionally, 79% of first-year students received need-based financial aid in fall 2023.

The average need-based self-help aid awarded to first-year students was $3,393.The average non-need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-year students at Howard University - excluding any athletic scholarships, if applicable - was $15,018.

Scholarships: Scholarships are a type of funding that you don’t need to pay back. Need-based scholarships take a student’s financial status into account. Merit-based scholarships are awarded to students for academic or athletic achievement. You might also qualify for a scholarship based on your community service involvement, unique hobbies or traits, your personal background, or a parent’s employer or military affiliation. Some students receive enough in scholarship money to cover their tuition and living expenses.
Jobs: Working while in school can help lessen the burden of your student loans. Schools offer work-study programs to those who qualify and campus jobs to students looking to earn money in their free time. Some institutions match students with work-study positions, while others require them apply to the positions, like they would for any other job. Begin your job search by checking whether your college has in-person or online job boards.

Student Loan Debt

How much student loan debt you accumulate can affect your financial life long after college ends. Ideally, your total student loan debt should fall below your anticipated starting salary once you graduate.

At Howard University, the median federal loan debt among borrowers who completed their undergraduate degree is $24,500. The median monthly federal loan payment (if it were repaid over 10 years at 5.05% interest) for student federal loan borrowers who graduated is $260. Additionally, 8% of graduating students at Howard University took out private loans. Students with private loans had an average of $46,930 in private loan debt at graduation.

Average Total Indebtedness of 2024 Graduating Class: $56,408

Graduating students who have borrowed (any loan type, 2024): 72%

Cost for Graduate Programs

The cost of attendance for graduate programs varies depending on the specific program. Here are some examples:

Traditional Graduate Programs (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$75,762
Graduate Accounting/Finance Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$81,105
Graduate MFA Film Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$76,598
Graduate MFA/Music Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$75,006
Graduate Nursing Program - Year 1 (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$67,448
Graduate Nursing Program - Year 2 (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$69,284
Graduate Nursing Practitioner Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$68,296
Graduate Occupational Therapy Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$76,160
Graduate Physical Therapy Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$76,508
Graduate School of Education Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$71,234
Graduate Architecture Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$75,006
Graduate Social Work Program (Off-Campus): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$71,160
Graduate Social Work Program (Online): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$74,434
Graduate Data Analytics Program (Online): Estimated Cost of Attendance \$74,434

Each of these programs includes tuition, mandatory fees, and estimated indirect costs such as housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses.

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