About Us

About Us

The University of the District of Columbia is the only public university in the nation’s capital and the only exclusively urban land-grant institution in the United States. With a legacy that dates back to 1851, UDC is the proud heir to multiple institutions founded to educate African Americans during Reconstruction, including the Miner Normal School, Wilson Normal School, DC Teachers College and Federal City College. These institutions were later unified to form what is now UDC—an enduring symbol of access, economic development and public purpose.

Today, UDC is a comprehensive public institution of higher learning offering workforce certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a nationally recognized Juris Doctor program at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, ranked #2 in the nation for clinical training. UDC serves over 4,000 students annually across its flagship Van Ness campus, community college sites and workforce development centers, with a student body that reflects the diversity and promise of Washington, D.C.

The University can boast of more than 40,000 living alumni, the majority of whom live and work in the greater Washington region, contributing to every major sector—from education, healthcare and public service to business, technology and the arts.

UDC is deeply embedded in the District’s social and economic fabric. Its academic programs and workforce development initiatives are aligned with the region’s high-demand fields, including engineering, healthcare, education, cybersecurity, law, business and renewable energy. Through strategic public-private partnerships and civic engagement, UDC prepares students not only for careers, but for leadership in their communities.

As UDC celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2026, it is guided by its new 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, Delivering on the Promise, a bold roadmap designed to position UDC as the flagship public university for the nation’s capital. The plan is built around three strategic pillars:

1. Excellence in Student Achievement: expanding student support, increasing retention and graduation rates and scaling holistic student success services.
2. Alignment with Workforce Needs: doubling the number of degrees awarded annually, enhancing dual enrollment and career pathways and strengthening alignment with high-demand fields.
3. Impactful Community Service: expanding UDC’s research, legal clinics, community outreach and civic partnerships to address pressing challenges in the District and beyond.

Through this plan, UDC has committed to measurable goals—such as increasing second-year retention to 80%, raising the graduation rate to 65% and tripling philanthropic support—to fuel student achievement and institutional sustainability. New initiatives, such as the Center for Student Success, expanded early-college programs and investments in branding and service excellence, reflect a renewed focus on growth, inclusion and public impact.

The university is committed to Turning Potential into Power—expanding opportunity, driving economic development and shaping the future of the District and beyond.

Mission Statement

The University of the District of Columbia Foundation, Inc. was incorporated on March 15, 1978, under the District of Columbia’s Nonprofit Corporation Act. The Foundation operates exclusively as a 501(c)(3) organization.

The Corporation is organized exclusively for scientific, literary, charitable, educational purposes for the benefit of the University of the District of Columbia. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. To further education and research activities;
2. To provide for and maintain scholarships and grants in various phases of educational activities at the University of the District of Columbia;
3. To receive, hold, administer and disburse any monies, securities, real estate or other property which may be transferred to the Corporation by gift, devise, bequest or otherwise in accordance with the requests or directions of the donor or donors thereof and in accordance with the purposes of the Corporation;
4. To encourage alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends and patrons of the University of the District of Columbia and predecessor colleges to recognize, support and contribute to the Corporation in order to further its purposes; and
5. To engage in activities necessary, incidental or convenient to promote the purposes of the Corporation.