BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Pontifical College Josephinum

Columbus, Ohio·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·pcj.edu
6-yr Graduation
32%
-13.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
88
peer median 358
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyFacultyPeersDocumentsAlumni

About

The Pontifical College Josephinum is a Roman Catholic seminary and private university in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded by Joseph Jessing in 1888 to prepare seminarians for the many German-speaking communities in the United States at that time. The college was granted the status of a Pontifical College in 1892 by Pope Leo XIII, making it the only pontifical seminary in North America. The institution is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
24
24 candidates competed
Admitted
23
95.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
23
100.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
32%-13.0pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
32%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
32%
Full-time retention
100%

Pell equity

37.5pp gap
Pell recipients
0%0 of 3
Non-Pell (all)
38%6 of 16
No Federal Aid
38%6 of 16

Non-Pell students graduate at a 37.5-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 9 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 9 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
9
Passing
0
0.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

9programs
  • Passing0 · 0.0%
  • No Data9 · 100.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
0
No data
9

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1977Next review Aug 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 5

  1. Jun 2024Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Feb 2024Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning Removed
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  3. Jun 2022Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    Higher Learning Commission
  4. Feb 2022Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Warning
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  5. Feb 2012Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard
Net price by income not reported.
Federal loans
22.2%
In-state tuition
$28,691
Out-of-state
$28,691

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 7 students received $41K in Pell grants, alongside $140K in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
7
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$41K
$40,675 total
Direct Loans
$140K
20 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$40K
9 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$18K
7 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$82K
4 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 34 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.0%
-2.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
34
Defaulted
0
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
0.0%
2017
0.0%
2018
0.0%
2019
0.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Pontifical College Josephinum

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs6
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

16 total completions
01Theology
1062.5%
02Philosophy/Religion
637.5%
03Liberal Arts
00.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
88
12-mo unduplicated
95
Undergraduate
60
Graduate
35

Gender split

Men
98%93
Women
2%2

Race / ethnicity composition

White
86.7%
Unknown
5.0%
Black
3.3%
Hispanic
3.3%
Two or more
1.7%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 73 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
0
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    IPEDS
    Student-to-faculty
    5.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    18

    Pontifical College Josephinum vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Pontifical College Josephinum selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectPontifical College Josephinum
    		32%—88—Baccalaureate
    American Jewish University
    		44%96.0%424$38,997Baccalaureate
    Antioch College
    		41%89.1%121$14,834Baccalaureate
    Bennett College
    		25%50.7%180$28,299Baccalaureate
    Beulah Heights University
    		0%—359$5,970Baccalaureate
    Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
    		65%82.9%255$20,586Baccalaureate
    Centenary College of Louisiana
    		56%55.7%712$23,624Baccalaureate
    College of the Atlantic
    		68%70.2%358$25,184Baccalaureate
    Divine Word College
    		100%—64$10,364Baccalaureate
    East-West University
    		19%40.7%468$21,697Baccalaureate
    Hampshire College
    		54%75.3%844$24,034Baccalaureate
    Hebrew Theological College
    		50%57.1%182$26,861Baccalaureate
    Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
    		44%79.6%274$25,203Baccalaureate
    Holy Cross College
    		45%75.2%661$26,728Baccalaureate
    Kentucky Mountain Bible College
    		55%100.0%94$9,337Baccalaureate
    Lyon College
    		47%62.8%659$19,616Baccalaureate
    Magdalen College
    		53%44.4%—$15,922Baccalaureate
    Martin University
    		0%—198$18,114Baccalaureate
    Paine College
    		12%95.4%390$16,670Baccalaureate
    Providence Christian College
    		20%100.0%168$25,163Baccalaureate
    Randall University
    		27%57.9%298$16,383Baccalaureate
    Rust College
    		12%48.7%467$12,587Baccalaureate
    Sacred Heart Major Seminary
    		67%100.0%351$11,916Baccalaureate
    Salem College
    		57%76.7%549$18,277Baccalaureate
    Simmons College of Kentucky
    		8%100.0%506$18,434Baccalaureate
    Soka University of America
    		92%43.4%495$18,260Baccalaureate
    St. John's College
    		55%53.1%467$26,674Baccalaureate
    Sweet Briar College
    		52%75.5%444$17,758Baccalaureate
    Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
    		63%89.6%97$18,489Baccalaureate
    University of the West
    		38%100.0%138$6,845Baccalaureate
    Wells College
    		41%69.6%—$22,921Baccalaureate
    Peer group median45%75.3%358$18,462

    Institutions like Pontifical College Josephinum

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Pontifical College Josephinum's comparison group.

    IPEDS

    Reports & documents (1)

    Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

    Notable alumni of Pontifical College Josephinum (19)

    A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

    • Lawrence Eugene Brandt
      Religion
    • Carlos Elizondo
      Religion
    • David Eugene Fellhauer
      Religion
    • Leonard J. Fick
      Academia
    • J. Michael Garrison
      Religion
    • Jeffrey S. Grob
      Religion
    • Peter Francis Hammond
      Religion
    • Ronald Paul Herzog
      Religion
    • William Michael Joensen
      Religion
    • Robert Nugent Lynch
      Religion
    • Patrick Madrid
      Religion
    • Edward C. Malesic
      Religion
    Showing 1–12 of 19
    1 / 2

    Frequently asked questions about Pontifical College Josephinum

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Pontifical College Josephinum.

    What is the graduation rate at Pontifical College Josephinum?

    Pontifical College Josephinum reports a 6-year graduation rate of 32% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend Pontifical College Josephinum?

    Pontifical College Josephinum reports a total enrollment of 88 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the yield rate at Pontifical College Josephinum?

    Pontifical College Josephinum's yield rate is 100.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is Pontifical College Josephinum located?

    Pontifical College Josephinum is located in Columbus, Ohio 43235-1499.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    U.S. Department of Education
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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