The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC · Private four-year · City: Large
3,139undergraduates
83%admitted
Test-blind (scores not considered)SAT/ACT
$35,008average net price per year
81%graduate in 6 years
83%return for year two
Admissions
- Applicants
- 5,874
- Admitted
- 4,925
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Admit rate, women
- 86%
- Admit rate, men
- 81%
- Admitted students who enroll
- 17%
- First-year students
- 861
- SAT/ACT
- Test-blind (scores not considered)
| High school GPA | Required |
|---|---|
| High school record | Required |
| College-prep coursework | Required |
| SAT or ACT scores | Not considered |
| Recommendations | Required |
| Essay or personal statement | Required |
| Class rank | Considered, not required |
| Demonstrated competencies | Considered, not required |
| English proficiency test | Required |
| Work experience | Considered, not required |
| Legacy status | Not considered |
Majors
54 undergraduate programs that awarded a degree or certificate last year, grouped by field. Numbers are how many were awarded.
Business, management, marketing, and related support services (3)
- Accounting Bachelor's (10 awarded)
- Business Administration and Management, General Associate (1 awarded), Bachelor's (126 awarded)
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other Bachelor's (18 awarded)
Health professions and related programs (1)
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse Bachelor's (79 awarded)
Psychology (1)
- Psychology, General Bachelor's (62 awarded)
Social sciences (6)
- Anthropology, General Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Criminology Bachelor's (11 awarded)
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics Bachelor's (4 awarded)
- International Economics Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Political Science and Government, General Bachelor's (29 awarded)
- Sociology, General Bachelor's (8 awarded)
Visual and performing arts (10)
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation Bachelor's (3 awarded)
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General Bachelor's (6 awarded)
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other Certificate (1-2 years) (1 awarded)
- Fine/Studio Arts, General Bachelor's (6 awarded)
- Keyboard Instruments Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Music Pedagogy Bachelor's (3 awarded)
- Music Performance, General Bachelor's (16 awarded)
- Music Theory and Composition Bachelor's (2 awarded)
- Music, General Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Voice and Opera Bachelor's (4 awarded)
Architecture and related services (1)
- Architecture Bachelor's (42 awarded)
Engineering (5)
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Bachelor's (12 awarded)
- Civil Engineering, General Bachelor's (9 awarded)
- Computer Engineering, General Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering Bachelor's (4 awarded)
- Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's (15 awarded)
Philosophy and religious studies (2)
- Philosophy Bachelor's (20 awarded)
- Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor's (10 awarded)
Military technologies and applied sciences (1)
- Intelligence, General Certificate (1-2 years) (20 awarded)
History (1)
- History, General Bachelor's (19 awarded)
Biological and biomedical sciences (2)
- Biochemistry Bachelor's (3 awarded)
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General Bachelor's (14 awarded)
Computer and information sciences and support services (2)
- Computer Science Bachelor's (15 awarded)
- Information Technology Certificate (1-2 years) (1 awarded)
Education (5)
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching Bachelor's (5 awarded)
- Education, General Bachelor's (3 awarded)
- Elementary Education and Teaching Bachelor's (4 awarded)
- History Teacher Education Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Associate (1 awarded)
Communication, journalism, and related programs (2)
- Mass Communication/Media Studies Bachelor's (12 awarded)
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric Bachelor's (1 awarded)
Physical sciences (2)
- Chemistry, General Bachelor's (6 awarded)
- Physics, General Bachelor's (1 awarded)
Public administration and social service professions (2)
- Social Work Bachelor's (5 awarded)
- Youth Services/Administration Certificate (1-2 years) (1 awarded)
English language and literature/letters (1)
- English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's (5 awarded)
Legal professions and studies (1)
- Legal Assistant/Paralegal Certificate (1-2 years) (1 awarded), Associate (4 awarded)
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities (1)
- General Studies Bachelor's (3 awarded)
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies (2)
- Italian Studies Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies Certificate (1-2 years) (1 awarded)
Mathematics and statistics (1)
- Mathematics, General Bachelor's (2 awarded)
Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics (1)
- Spanish Language and Literature Bachelor's (1 awarded)
Library science (1)
- Library and Information Science Certificate (1-2 years) (1 awarded)
Graduate programs (62)
- Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General Master's
- Law Doctorate (professional)
- Bible/Biblical Studies Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Divinity/Ministry Master's
- Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies Post-bachelor's certificate
- Religious Education Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Theology and Religious Vocations, Other Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Theology/Theological Studies Master's
- Public Policy Analysis, Other Master's
- Social Work Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Civil Engineering, General Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering Master's
- Mechanical Engineering Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Clinical Psychology Doctorate (research)
- Developmental and Child Psychology Doctorate (research)
- Psychology, General Master's
- Art/Art Studies, General Post-bachelor's certificate
- Conducting Doctorate (research)
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General Master's
- Keyboard Instruments Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Music Pedagogy Doctorate (research)
- Music Theory and Composition Master's
- Music, General Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Voice and Opera Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Architecture Master's
- Health Services Administration Master's
- Nursing Practice Doctorate (research)
- Nursing Science Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse Post-master's certificate
- Library and Information Science Master's
- Business Administration and Management, General Master's
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General Master's
- Organizational Leadership Master's
- American Government and Politics (United States) Master's
- Development Economics and International Development Master's
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics Master's
- Political Science and Government, General Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Sociology, General Master's
- Computer Science Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Information Science/Studies Master's
- Materials Science Master's
- Physics, General Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Physics, Other Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Philosophy Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Art Teacher Education Master's
- Secondary Education and Teaching Master's
- Engineering/Industrial Management Master's
- Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Doctorate (research)
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General Master's
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General Master's, Doctorate (research)
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other Master's
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General Doctorate (research)
- Biotechnology Master's
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology Doctorate (research)
- English Language and Literature, General Master's, Doctorate (research)
- European History Master's
- History, General Master's
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies Master's
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other Master's
- Fire Services Administration Master's
- Mathematics, General Master's
Cost and aid
- Tuition and fees, in-state
- $55,834
- Housing and food on campus
- $17,370
- Books and supplies
- $1,180
- Other on-campus costs
- $3,400
- Total cost on campus, in-state
- $77,784
- Total cost on campus, out-of-state
- $77,784
- Total cost living at home
- $60,164
Published prices for 2023-24.
| Family income | Per year |
|---|---|
| $0-30,000 | $22,216 |
| $30,001-48,000 | $19,709 |
| $48,001-75,000 | $25,667 |
| $75,001-110,000 | $31,131 |
| Over $110,000 | $39,898 |
Net price is the full cost minus grants and scholarships, for full-time first-year students who got aid in 2022-23.
- First-year students who got any aid
- 99%
- Got grants or scholarships
- 99%
- Average grant or scholarship
- $38,232
- Got a grant from the college
- 99%
- Average grant from the college
- $36,624
- Undergraduates with a Pell grant
- 17%
- First-year students who borrowed
- 58%
- Average amount borrowed
- $9,500
Graduation
- Bachelor's in 4 years
- 75%
- Bachelor's in 5 years
- 80%
- Bachelor's in 6 years
- 81%
- Bachelor's in 8 years
- 74%
- Any degree in 6 years (all students)
- 81%
- Came back for year two
- 83%
| Pell grant students | 76% |
|---|---|
| Subsidized loan, no Pell | 78% |
| Neither | 84% |
| Group | Students | Graduated |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 470 | 85% |
| Men | 360 | 76% |
| Asian | 28 | 71% |
| Black | 31 | 74% |
| Hispanic | 122 | 72% |
| White | 566 | 86% |
| Two or more races | 48 | 73% |
| Race unknown | 16 | 75% (small group) |
| International | 19 | 63% (small group) |
| Started | Students | Earned a degree or certificate here | Enrolled at another college |
|---|---|---|---|
| Started here, full-time | 912 | 74% | 23% |
| Started here, part-time | 4 | 0% (small group) | 25% |
| Transferred in, full-time | 86 | 77% | 14% |
| Transferred in, part-time | 5 | 60% (small group) | 20% |
Graduation rates follow students who started full-time for the first time in fall 2017. Groups under 20 students are marked because a few students change the rate a lot.
Students
- Total students
- 5,171
- Undergraduates
- 3,139
- Full-time undergraduates
- 2,885
- Part-time undergraduates
- 254
- Graduate students
- 2,032
- Students per faculty member
- 11 to 1
- Undergraduates age 25 and up
- 7%
- Undergraduates taking all classes online
- 3%
| Women | 57% |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0% |
| Asian | 3% |
| Black | 9% |
| Hispanic | 20% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0% |
| White | 57% |
| Two or more races | 5% |
| Race unknown | 3% |
| International | 4% |
Campus life
- Setting
- City: Large
- Address
- 620 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, DC, 20064
- County
- District of Columbia
- Type
- Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity
- Highest degree
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship and professional practice
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Religious affiliation
- Roman Catholic
- Athletics
- NCAA
- Teams include
- football, basketball, baseball, cross country and track
- Offers
- Army ROTC, Navy ROTC, Air Force ROTC, Study abroad, Teacher certification, Weekend or evening classes, Online programs, Credit for AP exams, Yellow Ribbon (veterans)
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2022-23 to 2024-25 surveys), and the College Scorecard.