

It offers many opportunities for students to study abroad. Students are encouraged to design their own courses of study. It offers forty-eight majors in four undergraduate schools. The private research university was founded by former Jesuits. The diverse student body is comprised of around 7,000 undergraduate and 8,000 graduate students. Georgetown University, with its main campus located in DC's Georgetown neighborhood is also a private research university. It awards Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees across many disciplines. It was originally founded as the Colombian College in the District of Columbia in 1821. George Washington University is a private, comprehensive coed research university in Washington, DC. The academic reputation for AU is very strong and the student body is very diverse. American University promotes and encourages programs for studying abroad. It is the home of American's National Public Radio Station, WAMU. It is a college that emphasizes international understanding and is very vibrate and scholarly. The university has excellent opportunities for research work and internships. It is a beautiful campus on 84 acres in a Northwestern Washington, DC neighborhood. One of the top Washington DC colleges is the American University, also known as simply AU. A combination of the privilege of studying in the midst of history, politics and the 19 museums of the Smithsonian Institute makes Washington DC schools a popular choice not only for American students, but for students from abroad as well. It lists the top 800 world's universities. The QS University Rankings is the most widely used and reliable university ranking system of its kind.

At least four Washington DC colleges are listed in the 2011/2012 QS World University Rankings.

There are a good number of both private Washington DC colleges and universities to choose from. Colleges in Washington DC, the United States capital city, rank as some of the best in the world.
