Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Associate Degrees in District of Columbia
2
Meet the Ranking Threshold
2
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$45,454
General Studies Associate Degrees in District of Columbia
General studies associate degrees in the District of Columbia are two programs at two private universities in Washington, and both meet the ranking threshold. George Washington University holds the higher score, 45.4 and 264th in the national associate ranking, on an 84% graduation rate, 10 degrees a year and $64,798 in tuition and required fees for 2023-24. Trinity Washington University is eight places behind at 44.8 and 272nd, with a 49% graduation rate, 29 degrees a year and $26,110. The scores sit close together because the two programs trade strengths: George Washington finishes far more of its students, and Trinity awards nearly three times as many degrees at well under half the price.
Neither program is offered online, and both are private, so the price is the same whether or not you live in the district. Trinity also awards a general studies bachelor's, which gives its associate students a way to finish a four-year degree without changing universities. George Washington's associate is a small program inside a large research university, 10 graduates in the latest year, which is exactly the threshold the national ranking requires.
The 2 Best General Studies Associate Degrees in District of Columbia
The best general studies associate degrees in District of Columbia are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in District of Columbia. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
George Washington University
District of Columbia
45.4- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 84%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $64,798 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 10
About the Program
Based in Washington, District of Columbia, George Washington University is a private nonprofit university with 25,374 students on its rolls. It conferred 10 associate's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 2% of the associate's programs ranked at this level. Of the students who start at George Washington University, 84% graduate, and that beats 99 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees hold at $64,798 a year whichever state you come from. Applicants are admitted at a rate of 47%, which leaves room for a rejection. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 99th percentile.
2
Trinity Washington University
District of Columbia
44.8- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 49%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $26,110 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 29
About the Program
Washington, District of Columbia is home to Trinity Washington University, a private nonprofit university of 1,948 students. It conferred 29 associate's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 25% of the associate's programs ranked at this level. Of the students who start at Trinity Washington University, 49% graduate, and that beats 83 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Residents and nonresidents are both charged $26,110 a year in tuition and fees. Applicants face little risk of rejection, because 100% are admitted. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 83rd percentile.
How Much Does a General Studies Associate Degree Cost in District of Columbia?
A general studies associate degree in the District of Columbia costs $45,454 a year in tuition and required fees at the median of the two programs for 2023-24, which is simply the midpoint between Trinity Washington University at $26,110 and George Washington University at $64,798. Both universities are private, so residency doesn't change either figure. What the higher price buys is completion: George Washington graduates 84% of its students and Trinity 49%.
District aid for an associate student starts with the DC Tuition Assistance Grant, which the Office of the State Superintendent of Education opens to residents who earned a secondary credential within 15 years of the first year of a DCTAG award and are working toward a first undergraduate degree on at least a half-time basis. An associate is a first undergraduate degree, so a returning adult taking half a load at Trinity fits the rule. DC Futures, the district's last-dollar scholarship for residents completing their first associate or bachelor's degree, lists Trinity as a partner, but OSSE says it is unable to fund new applicants for the 2026-27 cycle, so treat it as closed for now.
Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in District of Columbia?
A general studies associate degree in the District of Columbia transfers on whatever terms the receiving university sets, because both programs are at private universities and each university writes its own transfer policy. The clearest published rule in the district belongs to the public university. UDC applies 90 transfer credits toward a bachelor's degree and requires students to earn the remaining credits to reach the 120-credit minimum in residence, and it accepts only courses passed with a C or better. UDC Community College also describes its Associate of Liberal Arts as equivalent to the first two years of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, which is the standard any general studies associate from Trinity or George Washington should be measured against when a university evaluates it.
The path with the fewest unknowns is Trinity's own. It awards both the associate and the bachelor's in general studies, so you can finish the two-year degree and keep going under one registrar, with no credit evaluation by a stranger. If you plan to leave George Washington or Trinity with the associate and finish somewhere else, ask the receiving university three things in writing before you enroll: how many of your credits it will apply toward the degree, the minimum grade it requires on each course, and how many credits you'll have to complete in residence.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in District of Columbia?
Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in District of Columbia pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Associate Degree Program in District of Columbia
How to choose a general studies associate degree program in the District of Columbia is a two-way decision between George Washington University and Trinity Washington University, and the data makes the trade plain: $64,798 a year for an 84% graduation rate at George Washington, or $26,110 for a 49% graduation rate at Trinity. George Washington awarded 10 degrees in the latest year and Trinity 29. Both are campus programs in Washington, so neither suits someone who needs to study from home.
Ask Trinity whether its associate feeds into its general studies bachelor's without a fresh application and whether every associate credit counts toward the bachelor's. Ask George Washington where its associate graduates go next, since a program this small is usually a step toward something specific. Ask both financial aid offices whether you qualify for DCTAG as a half-time or returning student, and what the net price looks like after it.
If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in District of Columbia have their own page.