Howard vs. TU

Should I go to Howard University or Towson University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard or TU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Howard University vs. Towson University comparison
Howard University Towson University College 3 College 4
Howard University Towson University
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Overview

 Howard TU
Location Washington, DC Towson, MD
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 13,416 19,527
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #249 #375
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu towson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Howard TU
Tuition (In State) $32,878 $7,382
Tuition (Out of State) $32,878 $24,402
Room & Board $16,474 $15,644
Avg Net Price $30,028 $15,064
Avg Grant Aid $21,422 $11,565
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 62%

Admission

 Howard TU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,342 18,948
Admitted 10,587 15,689
Acceptance Rate 34.9% 82.8%
Enrolled % 21.4% 19.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.69
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/28 19/28
SAT Range 1100/1298 1050/1270
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2026 Apr 1, 2026

Academics

 Howard TU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)

Outcomes

 Howard TU
Graduation Rate 63% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $53,500
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $17,750
Median Loan Payment $279 $183

Diversity

 Howard TU
% Men 8% 4%
% Women 16% 12%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Medium
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 61%
% Black 91% 18%
% Hispanic 0% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 4%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

 Howard TU
% In-State 1% 90%
% Out-of-State 91% 9%

Campus

 Howard TU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Towson University is larger than than Howard based on total student enrollment (19,527 students vs. 13,416 students)

Howard vs. TU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or TU?

  • Howard University is 345.4% more expensive to attend than TU for in-state tuition ($32,878.00 vs. $7,382.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34.7% higher at Howard than Towson University ($32,878.00 vs. $24,402.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Towson University than Howard ($15,064 vs. $30,028)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Towson University are 5.3% lower than costs at Howard University ($15,644 vs. $16,474)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Howard University than Towson University (100% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Howard University students is 85.2% larger than aid received Towson University ($21,422 vs. $11,565)

Howard vs. TU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Howard or TU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between TU or Howard .

  • The average SAT score at Howard University (1105) is 24 points higher than at TU (1081)
  • Incoming Howard students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at TU (23)
  • Accepted freshman TU students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at Howard (3.66)
  • TU has a higher acceptance rate (82.8%) than Howard (34.9%)

Howard vs. TU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard or TU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between TU and Howard.

  • The graduation rate at TU is higher than Howard University (64% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Towson University earn on average $1,700 more per year than Howard graduates after ten years. ($53,500 vs. $51,800)
  • Towson University students graduate with a $9,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Howard graduates. ($17,750 vs. $27,000)
  • TU graduates are paying $96 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($183 vs. $279)
  • More TU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 33%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/