Schools in Columbia Heights

Columbia Heights is one of Washington DC's most culturally diverse and family-active neighborhoods, centered on the 14th Street NW corridor in Ward 1. Four schools — three DCPS and one charter — serve the immediate neighborhood, though Columbia Heights' central location puts dozens of additional schools in Ward 1, 2, 4, and 5 within easy reach. The neighborhood's DCPS schools include Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC), which operates both a middle and high school program on the same campus — an unusual model that allows for strong grade-level continuity and a unified school community across 6th through 12th grade. The Columbia Heights Metro station (Green/Yellow lines) sits at the center of the neighborhood's commercial hub around 14th and Irving Street NW, making it one of DC's most transit-connected residential areas. Meridian Hill Park, the neighborhood's crown green space, hosts community events that regularly bring Columbia Heights families together. Ward 1's school lottery priority benefits families applying to Ward 1 schools. Columbia Heights' location on the Ward 1/4 border also gives some families a geographic edge when applying to popular Ward 4 programs in Petworth and Brightwood — check current lottery zone maps for exact boundaries.