The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
The Catholic University of America Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in District Of Columbia
- #1 Best Small Colleges in DC 2026
- #3 Best Christian Colleges in DC 2026
- #5 DC's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #5 Best Research Universities in DC 2026
- #5 Best Grad Schools in DC
- #5 Best Private Colleges in DC 2026
- #5 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #5 Best Colleges in DC 2026
- #10 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #15 Best Small Colleges 2026
- #24 Nursing Research Universities
- #47 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2026
About The Catholic University of America
In brief
The Catholic University of America, in Washington, DC, was founded in 1887 by the Catholic bishops of the United States. Its 12 schools offer some 250 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. By our measure of academic influence, it ranks #130 in the United States and #423 in the world. It admitted 82.8% of applicants for fall 2024.
It is home to 22 research centers, institutes, and laboratories, and its most popular programs include nursing, political science, management, psychology, and architecture.
Where Catholic University’s influence is strongest
Catholic University’s influence is led by religious studies, where it ranks in the US top 20. Its strongest broad fields, by US rank in our data, are:
- Religious studies: #17 in the US (#67 in the world)
- Nursing: #64
- Law: #94
- Philosophy: #99
- Communications: #126
Its highest-ranked specialties in our data are:
- #1 in the US: canon law
- #13: theology
How we measure influence: these ranks come from the citations and recognition earned by a school’s faculty and alumni in each discipline, not from surveys or admissions statistics. See our methodology.
Notable people
Catholic University-connected figures include the physicists Hugh Everett and Clyde Cowan, the playwright Paula Vogel, the sculptor Martin Puryear, the actors Jon Voight and Susan Sarandon, the columnist Maureen Dowd, the theologian Mary Daly, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Notre Dame President Theodore Hesburgh, and Senator Tom Harkin. It is also associated with 21 cardinals of the Catholic Church. Our full lists of Catholic University’s most influential alumni and faculty appear below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Catholic University hard to get into? No. It admitted 82.8% of applicants for fall 2024.
What does Catholic University cost after financial aid? Tuition is $60,414 for 2025–26. The average net price for aided students with family incomes of $48,000–$75,000 was $26,171 in 2024–25; it ranged from about $24,802 for incomes of $30,000–$48,000 to $37,786 for incomes above $110,000.
How do Catholic University graduates do? 75.9% of students who started in 2019 graduated within six years, and 87% of first-year students return for a second year. Ten years after starting college, former students had median earnings of $81,308.
What is Catholic University best known for academically? By our influence data: religious studies and nursing, plus canon law, where it ranks first in the country.
According to Wikipedia, The Catholic University of America is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Established in 1887 as a graduate and research center following approval by Pope Leo XIII, the university began offering undergraduate education in 1904. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
The Catholic University of America Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,874 | 83% | 87% | 76% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does The Catholic University of America Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $60,414 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $27,245 |
| 30K - 48K | $24,802 |
| 48K - 75K | $26,171 |
| 75K - 110K | $28,183 |
| 110K+ | $37,786 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do The Catholic University of America Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former The Catholic University of America students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $81,308 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
The Catholic University of America's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 5,618 | 3,248 | 2,370 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is The Catholic University of America?
The Catholic University of America is located at 620 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20064.
How Safe is The Catholic University of America?
The Catholic University of America reported 0.2 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most midsize residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, The Catholic University of America has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.02%. Washington has a violent crime rate of 0.94% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.63%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is The Catholic University of America Known For?
The Catholic University of America is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
- Law
- Philosophy
- Communications
- Physics
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Education
- History
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Economics
- Business
- Sociology
- Medical
- Biology
- Computer Science
The Catholic University of America's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much The Catholic University of America's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
The Catholic University of America ranks #17 in the U.S. and #67 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #64 in the U.S. and #136 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #94 in the U.S. and #271 worldwide for influence in Law.
The Catholic University of America ranks #99 in the U.S. and #316 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #126 in the U.S. and #423 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #129 in the U.S. and #512 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #131 in the U.S. and #296 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #140 in the U.S. and #554 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #148 in the U.S. and #337 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #154 in the U.S. and #469 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #166 in the U.S. and #625 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #166 in the U.S. and #462 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #189 in the U.S. and #855 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #206 in the U.S. and #584 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #211 in the U.S. and #1182 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #235 in the U.S. and #931 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #250 in the U.S. and #444 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #257 in the U.S. and #1303 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #268 in the U.S. and #896 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #279 in the U.S. and #992 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #350 in the U.S. and #1246 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #365 in the U.S. and #1474 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesThe Catholic University of America ranks #435 in the U.S. and #2050 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWho Are The Catholic University of America's Most Influential Alumni?
The Catholic University of America's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Religious Studies, Nursing, and Physics. Here are some of The Catholic University of America's most famous alumni:
- Michael D. Griffin
- An American physicist and aerospace engineer.
- Brian Williams
- An American TV news anchor.
- Mary Daly
- An American radical feminist philosopher and theologian .
- Maureen Dowd
- An American journalist.
- Thomas L. Saaty
- An American mathematician.
- Raymond E. Brown
- An American priest and biblical scholar.
- Verlyn Flieger
- A British writer.
- Theodore Hesburgh
- A Congressional Gold Medal recipient.
- Raymond Leo Burke
- An American Catholic cardinal.
- Thomas Berry
- An American priest.
- Seán Patrick O'Malley
- A Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston.
- Marjorie Perloff
- An American academic.
Who Are The Catholic University of America's Most Influential Faculty?
The Catholic University of America's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Religious Studies, Nursing, and Physics. Here are some of The Catholic University of America's most famous faculty:
- Pamela Cook
- An American mathematician.
- Mauricio Claver-Carone
- A President of the Inter-American Development Bank .
- Peter B. Rutledge
- An American attorney.
- Geronimo Villanueva
- An Argentine astronomer.
- Arianna Zukerman
- An American opera singer.
- Corinna E. Lathan
- An American entrepreneur, engineer, and social activist.
