Admission FAQs

You will receive an application receipt confirmation, supporting documents notice, and an admission decision letter from the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Before you apply, please determine your student type. It’s important to identify your correct “student type” and complete the corresponding online application so that we can accurately evaluate your application and request the appropriate supporting documents.

Once started, you can’t delete an application. However, please email your admission counselor to alert us if you filled out the wrong type of application, and then complete a new, correct application type using the same username and password. Please do not create a new username when you start the second application, as this will delay the admission process.

Please do not start a new application if you submitted inaccurate information, missing information, or need to change or update your semester, major, or demographic information, as this will delay the admission process. Instead, please complete the Application Update Form and email it to udctranscores@udc.edu. Please allow 5 business days for processing.

All students who earned a high school diploma from an accredited institution and have not been placed on academic suspension within the last two years by a previously attended university are eligible for admission to the Community College.

First-Time in College Applicants (Bachelor's Degree Seekers) –  must meet the following criteria:
2.5 high school grade point average and 1030 SAT or 16 ACT score; OR
2.0 – 2.49 high school grade point average and 1030 SAT or 19 ACT score

Transfer Applicants – Earned 24 college credits or more and have an aggregate college GPA of 2.0 or higher from an accredited institution(s); OR Earned less than 24 college credits, have an aggregate college GPA of 2.0 or higher from an accredited institution(s) and earned a H.S. GPA of 2.5 or higher from accredited institutions

Re-admit and Non-degree Applicants – seeking students are automatically eligible for admission to the Flagship as long as they have at least a 2.0 GPA and have not been placed on academic suspension within one year by a previously attended university.

International Applicants – please review the step-by-step guide for international students.

Graduate Applicants – students should review their chosen program’s website for specific program admissions standards.

All students must complete an online application and pay an application fee; additional requirements vary by college and student type.

• First-Time in College Applicants:
  • First-time students who apply to the Community College must send UDC their high school transcripts
  • First-time students who apply to the Flagship must submit their high school transcripts and official SAT or ACT scores (test optional effective fall 2020)
• Transfer and Re-admit Applicants:
  • Applicants to either the Community College or Flagship must submit transcripts from all previously attended colleges. Students who have earned less than 30 college credits should submit their high school transcripts as well.
  • Attention Transfer Applicants to UDC: If you have or will request Financial Aid (via FAFSA), the University requires— for financial aid purposes — verification of high school completion.
    In addition to your college transcripts, please submit a high school transcript or GED transcript to complete your admissions application.  This applies to Transfer applicants who intend to request UDC Financial Aid.
• International Applicants:
  • Applicants to either the Community College or Flagship must submit evaluated transcripts from all institutions attended, as well as all documents required for entry into the United States. International students should review the complete list of requirements on the international student page of the admissions website.
• Non-Degree Applicants:
  • Applicants to either the Community College or Flagship must submit either a high school transcript, current college transcript, or a letter from their current college showing good academic standing
• Graduate Students:
  • In general, graduate students must submit their college transcripts, a personal statement, and official GRE or GMAT scores. Additional requirements vary by program. For more information, please visit Graduate Admissions.

For additional details on application requirements, please view the step-by-step guides found on the admissions page for your student type.

Your Application is incomplete until all required documents are received by Admissions.

UDC does not require official test scores for admission.

UDC requires official, final transcripts before students can enroll and register for classes. An official transcript is defined as a verification of a student’s academic record issued in the original language from the original issuing source sent directly to UDC either electronically and/or delivered in a signed, sealed envelope.

UDC will admit first-time in college students based on a six or seven-semester high school transcript but must receive a final transcript with a date of graduation, including month and year, before students can enroll. UDC will also admit transfer students based on in-progress transcripts but must receive an official transcript from their current semester before students can enroll.

We encourage you to send all supplementary documents for admission to the Office electronically at udctranscores@udc.edu.

You can also mail or deliver in person to the following address:

UDC Office of Undergraduate Admission 
4200 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

The application fee for admission is currently waived.

Fee waivers are available to current District of Columbia high-school students who face financial hardships and who apply for admission to UDC for the fall immediately following high school graduation.

UDC accepts waivers, for all participating states, from the National Association for College Admission Counseling or from the College Board. Please review these sites for more details on fee waiver eligibility criteria and the application process.

Students must submit a completed application for admission before their application for a fee waiver can be assessed. Students cannot obtain a fee waiver after they apply for admission if they have already paid the application fee. UDC will not refund any application fee already paid. Students who apply for a waiver will receive notice only if their fee waiver is denied.

Students who apply for admission to the Flagship (Bachelor’s Degree Program) but don’t meet the required academic standards are offered admittance to the Community College instead.

First Time in College Applicants who do not meet requirements may still be eligible for admission to the Flagship if they achieve minimum scores on the ACCUPLACER examination sub tests as follows:

English Score: 86
Mathematics Score: 85
Reading Score: 78

Note: Once enrolled at the Community College, students who complete all developmental courses; earn at least fifteen credits; and are in good academic standing can easily transition to the Flagship.

UDC does not admit domestic undergraduate students on a conditional or provisional basis.

International students who meet all academic standards for admission except for the English proficiency requirement are eligible for conditional admission. Please see the international student conditional admissions guidelines for more information.

Graduate students are eligible for conditional admission on a case-by-case basis with the approval of the graduate program director.

Your next steps will appear in your admission letter by clicking the "Register for Classes" button.

All students are automatically classified as Non-Residents unless they apply and qualify for District or Metro Area residency. Your residency status determines your tuition rate, and thus, it’s critical that you apply for a change in residency by the established deadline.  For more information and application, visit Establishing Residency.

*Note: Non-immigrant VISA holders are ineligible for District or Metropolitan Area residency and are automatically classified as Out-of-State. This includes students on (F) Visas, diplomatic (A) Visas, Foreign organization employees with (G) Visas, and persons having other non-immigrant Visas.

In general, students receive credit for all standard college courses taken at an accredited university passed with a grade of “C” or better. UDC has no maximum in the number of credits allowed for transfer, but consistent with UDC’s residency policy, students—including post-baccalaureate students—can apply a maximum of 90 transfer credits towards a Bachelor degree and a maximum of 45 credits towards an Associate’s degree. Additional credits towards the degree must be earned in residence at UDC. For more detailed guidelines on how your credits may transfer, please review UDC’s transfer and examination credit policies.

Admitted transfer students and returning students who earned college credit after leaving UDC have their transcripts evaluated by the Admissions Office, and receive an electronic and hard-copy Transfer Credit Report detailing how many and in what way their credits have transferred to their degree at UDC. Students who apply before the priority deadline should expect to receive their Credit Report within 4-6 weeks after their offer of admission. Due to the large volume of transfer students who attend UDC, students who apply and are admitted after the priority deadline may not receive their report before the start of the semester, and should meet with an Admissions transfer counselor or academic advisor on campus before the start of classes to obtain a credit evaluation.

Students who apply before the priority deadline should expect to receive their Transfer Credit Report within 4-6 weeks after their offer of admission. Due to the large volume of transfer students who attend UDC, students who apply and are admitted after the priority deadline may not receive their report before the start of the semester!

UDC is the most affordable university in the Nation’s Capital. The total annual cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, and living expenses, and is dependent upon whether students are enrolled at the Community College or as an undergraduate or graduate student at the Flagship, and whether they are classified as a Resident, Metro Area resident, or a Non-Resident.

To view the current cost of attendance, please visit Cost of Attendance.

It’s essential that you apply for federal financial aid as early as possible when applying for admission to UDC. The application process starts with filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and ensuring that you include UDC’s FAFSA code of 007015.

For additional guidance on the application process, please visit UDC Financial Aid or contact the office at finaid@udc.edu or 202-274-5157.

Yes, the university is committed to providing equal and integrated access for individuals with disabilities to all the academic, social, cultural, and recreational programs it offers.  For more information, please visit our Accessibility Resource Center, call 202-274-6417, or email arc@udc.edu.

Yes. Students may receive credit for scores on AP tests while taken in high school. The University will only consider grades received at levels 3, 4, and 5 for AP credits.

Receipt of credit is also acceptable by students who have earned credits toward an International Baccalaureate (IB) Only a score of 5 or above will be accepted.

Such evaluations will solely be accepted within the first two semesters of enrollment at the University.

Applicants interested in gaining admission to one of the University’s bachelor programs must provide a transcript with an earned GPA (2.5 GPA for bachelor programs). High school transcripts submitted without GPAs will not be accepted. Accuplacer exam is a required supplement to gain admission to either the University or Community College. Transfer applicants with 24 or more credits are exempt from this requirement.

Yes, the DCUP Scholarship is merit-based and automatically awarded to selected first-time in college students who are admitted in the fall semester immediately following high school graduation. For more information regarding the DCUP Learning Community, please visit, DC Up Scholarship Learning Community. Below is pertinent information on the different tiers of scholarship offered to DC-UP scholars at UDC.

DC Public & Charter Schools

• 3.7 GPA or Higher / Valedictorian & Salutatorian – Full Ride (tuition/fees/housing stipend)
• 3.4 – 3.6 GPA – 40% Partial (tuition/fees)

• 3.0 – 3.3 GPA – 30% Partial (tuition/fees)

Metro High Schools

• 3.7 GPA or Higher / Valedictorian & Salutatorian – 50% Partial (tuition/fees)
• 3.4 – 3.6 GPA – 15% Partial (tuition/fees)
• 3.0 – 3.3 GPA – 11% Partial (tuition/fees)

Out of State / International Schools

• 3.7 GPA or Higher / Valedictorian & Salutatorian – 30% Partial (tuition/fees)
• 3.4 – 3.6 GPA – 15% Partial (tuition/fees)
• 3.0- 3.3 GPA- 10% Partial (tuition/fees)

Additionally, students may view other scholarship opportunities by visiting Scholarships.