University of the District of Columbia

Chartered in 1974 but with origins dating back to a college founded by abolitionist Myrtilla Miner in 1851, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is the only public university in the city of Washington DC itself. The institution is also the only land grant institution based in an urban centre across the entire United States, and its campus location allows for easy access to anything from a tour of the White House to kayaking on the Potomac River.

There are 68 degree programmes offered across the colleges of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability & Environmental Sciences, Arts & Sciences, and the schools of Business & Public Administration, Engineering & Applied Sciences, and Law. Operating since 2009, UDC Community College is catered towards both high school graduates and adult learners.

Based in its location as the capital and administrative centre of the United States, the Political Science programme at UDC allows students a significant edge over other institutions. Students are able to receive prestigious internships on Capitol Hill, as well as work experience opportunities with national and international think tanks, and direct observations of political processes.

The Office of International Programs & Exchange give UDC students a wide range of study abroad options. The university has a long-standing agreement with El Maadi Modern Academy in Egypt, as well as international exchange programmes with institutions in the British city of Sunderland, Osun State in Nigeria, and in the Austrian city of Salzburg as part of the Mellon Initiative.

Athletics teams are known as the Firebirds, and compete in the NCAA Division II. There are four men’s sports programmes and six women’s, including both indoor and outdoor track and field.