You can easily create a user name and password and complete the brief online application for your designated student type at UDC’s online application portal. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call the Admissions Office and request a hard copy application or fill out an application at the Office.  

UDC accepts applications from degree and non-degree seeking students in the fall, spring, and summer semesters (no summer admission for graduate students). UDC operates on a rolling admissions calendar so students can submit an application at any time. However, students are strongly encouraged to apply by the priority deadlines to ensure they are fully eligible for all institutional aid and are guaranteed a seat for their preferred semester. The priority admissions deadlines are:

• Fall: April 15 International Students, May 15 Domestic Students
• Spring: September 15 International Students, October 15 Domestic Students
• Summer: March 15 International Students, April 15 Domestic Students

It’s important to identify your correct “student type” and complete the matching online application so UDC can accurately evaluate your application and so you know all of the documents that you must submit to complete your application. Before you apply, please carefully review the guidelines found on the admissions website to determine your student type.

Once started, you can’t delete an application. However, please email the Office to alert us if you filled out the wrong type of application, and then complete a new, correct application type using the same user name and password. Please do not create a new user name when you start the second application as this will delay the admissions 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 admissions process. Instead, please complete the Application Update Form, and email the form to the Office.

Once started, you can’t delete an application. However, please email the Office to alert us if you filled out the wrong type of application, and then complete a new, correct application type using the same user name and password. Please do not create a new user name when you start the second application as this will delay the admissions 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 admissions process. Instead, please complete the Application Update Form, and email the form to the Office.

All students who earned a high school degree 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.

For admission to the Flagship, first-time-in college students must meet the following criteria:  

• 2.5 high school grade point average and 1200 SAT or 16 ACT score; OR
• 2.0 high school grade point average and 1400 SAT or 19 ACT score

Transfer students are eligible for admission to the Flagship if they meet the following criteria:

• Earned 30 college credits or more and have an aggregate college GPA of 2.0 or higher; OR
• Earned less than 30 college credits and earned a H.S. GPA of 2.5 or higher

Returning and non-degree 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 the last two years by a previously attended university.

For international student admissions standards, including English proficiency requirements, please review the step-by-step guide for international students.   

Graduate 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 students:
  • 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  
• Transfer and Returning students:
  • 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.  
• International students:
  • Applicants to either the Community College or Flagship must submit 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 students:
  • 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 additional details on application requirements, please view the step-by-step guides found on the admissions website for your student type. 

UDC requires official test scores to make an offer of admission. Official test scores are sent to UDC directly by the testing agency. When you take the SAT or ACT, you have the option of requesting that your test scores are automatically submitted to UDC; otherwise, you can request the submission of your test score to UDC directly from the College Board or the ACT.  

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 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 UDCadmissions@udc.edu. You can find copies of many admissions and enrollment forms on the admissions website.

You can also mail documents or application fee payments to Office at:

UDC Office of Recruitment and Admissions
4200 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

At the end of the online application, you will be prompted to pay your $35 (all undergraduate domestic students) or $50 (all international and graduate students) application fee by credit card. After you submit your application, you will not be able to return to your application and pay your fee by credit card. Instead, you must send the Office a check or money order payable to the University of the District of Columbia along with a completed Application Fee Payment Form, which can be downloaded from the Admissions website.

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.  

In two weeks, you will receive an email message from a Recruitment Specialist notifying you of the status of your application, whether it is complete or incomplete. You may also view your application and/or admission status online by using the Web ID and PIN you created at the time you submitted your online application.

If you have not provided the required supporting documents (see checklist), there will be a delay in getting an admission decision to you. The status of your application is “pending” until all documents are received, and have been processed.

You will be able to view online a checklist of all documents needed to complete your application—UDC cannot make an admissions decision until your application is complete. If you believe the checklist contains any errors in regard to either required documents or documents you believe that UDC should have received already, please email the Office.

To ensure that you can access your account, please be sure to write down the user ID and password that you create.

You can expect an admissions decision within two weeks of submitting a complete application. You will receive your decision through both an email notification to the email address provided on your application as well as in hard copy.

Students who apply to admission to the Flagship but don’t meet the required academic standards are offered admittance to the Community College instead.

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.

The best way to contact the Admission Office is to complete one of the online inquiry forms or to email the Office at UDCadmissions@udc.edu. Once you receive an offer of admission, you can directly contact your assigned admission counselor.  You are also welcome to call the Office during the weekday business hours of 8:30am-5:30pm. During peak application processing times, particularly June-August, the Office receives a large volume of phone calls and it may prove difficult to reach an admissions counselor. We recommend leaving a message and following-up your message with an email detailing the assistance required, and the Office will strive to respond to your inquiry within 72 hours.  

If you are accepted to UDC, please follow these next steps to confirm your enrollment:

1. Complete and submit your Confirmation of Enrollment Form .
2. Submit your final, official high school/college transcripts and pay your application fee, if you have not already done so.
3. If you are under 27 years of age, submit your vaccination / health forms.
4. Submit your health insurance or insurance waiver forms.
5. Apply for residency status (if applicable)
6. Register for orientation.
7. Apply for financial aid, if you have not already done so.
8. Schedule an appointment to take the ACCUPLACER test (Community College students only).

For more details on enrolling at UDC, particularly for international students who have additional requirements, please review the next steps to enroll on the admissions web site. Please also feel free to contact your assigned admission’s counselor at any time with any questions about your enrollment status and next steps.   

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 if eligible.  

A District of Columbia or Metro Area address is not sufficient proof to change your residency status. Please review carefully the official University residency policy and submit the required proof of residency to the Admissions Office in person, hard-copy mail, or electronic PDF format as soon as possible after you receive your offer of admission.

International students are not eligible for District or Metro Area residency status.     

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 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.

If you apply and are admitted to UDC as a non-degree seeking student then you are not eligible for financial aid, and you must reapply for admission every semester.  Students can apply a maximum of 12 credits earned as a non-degree student towards a UDC undergraduate degree and a maximum of 9 credits towards a graduate degree.

UDC is the most affordable university in the Capital Region. The total annual cost of attendance including all tuition, fees, and living expenses ranges from approximately $20,000 to just over $30,000 a year depending upon whether students are enrolled at the Community College or as an undergraduate or graduate students at the Flagship, and whether they are classified as a Resident, Metro Area resident, or a Non-Resident.

For more information on UDC tuition, fees, and a cost calculator, please visit the University’s Office of Financial Aid.

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) at www.fafsa.ed.gov  and ensuring that you include UDC’s FAFSA code of 007015.  

For additional guidance on the application process, please visit the UDC Financial Aid website or contact the Office at finaid@udc.edu or 202.274.5060.