Private nonprofit · University
The Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia · Large city
- 82.8%
- Admit rate
- $29,561
- Avg net price
- 79%
- Graduation rate
- $73,250
- Median earnings
The Catholic University of America is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Washington, District of Columbia (large city setting), enrolling 3,154 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.
About Washington, District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The Nacotchtank, also called the Nacostines by Catholic missionaries, maintained settlements around the Anacostia River in present-day Washington, D.C. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes ultimately displaced the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland. Washington, D.C., is a national center for the arts, home to several concert halls and theaters. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is home to National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 3 miles to Washington, DC
- To the ocean
- 4 miles
- Nearest airport
- 6 miles to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) · major hub
How The Catholic University of America compares
More selective than 40% · #6 most selective of 7 in District of Columbia
Higher than 88% · #3 of 9 in District of Columbia
Higher than 80%
Higher than 86% · #4 of 10 in District of Columbia
Cheaper than 16% · #4 cheapest of 8 in District of Columbia
Lower than 24%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 70%
Percentiles compare The Catholic University of America with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in District of Columbia.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate3,15460%
- Graduate2,06640%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,82958%
- Men1,32542%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White54%
- Black8.7%
- Hispanic22%
- Asian3.3%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,154
- Graduate enrollment
- 2,066
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 20%
- First-generation students
- 10%
- Students over 25
- 7%
- Median family income
- $114,619
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $101,268
- Endowment
- $382,564,811
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 82.8%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $58,378
- Room & board
- $18,200
- Books & supplies
- $1,216
- Total cost of attendance
- $75,481
- Average net price
- $29,561
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 79%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 73%
- First-year retention
- 87%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $63,217
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $73,250
- Median debt at graduation
- $26,000
- Students with federal loans
- 48%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 72%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 1,988
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 63%
- Housing charge (year)
- $9,780
- Meal plan (year)
- $7,590
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division III with football
- Football conference
- Landmark Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 784 (469 men · 315 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (13)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.9 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 11
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 4
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,243 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$24,723/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
The Catholic University of America discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $36,624. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 763 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $73,250
- Typical debt at graduation
- $26,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 35%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 77%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $2,185 (3%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 28°F
- Annual rain
- 45.6″
- Annual snow
- 9.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Natl Arboretum DC, MD US station (2.1 mi from campus).
What The Catholic University of America graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to The Catholic University of America
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare The Catholic University of America side by side →
Western New England University
Springfield, Massachusetts · Midsize city · 4 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 2,603
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $27k
- SAT
- 1192
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $73k
University of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania · Small city · < 1 mi to Scranton
- Students
- 3,554
- Admission
- 81%
- Net price
- $33k
- SAT
- 1237
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $75k
Iona University
New Rochelle, New York · Large suburb · 19 mi to New York
- Students
- 2,951
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1217
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $74k
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city · < 1 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 3,755
- Admission
- 81%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1243
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $77k
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska · Large city · 1 mi to Omaha
- Students
- 4,348
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $32k
- SAT
- 1321
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $74k
University of Redlands
Redlands, California · Small city · 13 mi to Riverside
- Students
- 2,049
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $30k
- SAT
- 1241
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $73k
Colleges near The Catholic University of America
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Bennett Career Institute
Washington, DC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 176 students
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Trinity Washington University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,414 students
Howard University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 10,108 students
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 812 students
The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC
Washington, DC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 117 students
Saint Michael College of Allied Health
Washington, DC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 136 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.