R2 ResearchPrivate nonprofit

The Catholic University of America

Washington, District of Columbia·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Mid East·catholic.edu
6-yr Graduation
79%
+4.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
5,243
peer median 6,468
Avg net price
$29,561
-$7.4k vs R2 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

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

Applied
6,714
6,714 candidates competed
Admitted
5,558
82.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
742
13.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
79%+4.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
73%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
79%
Full-time retention
87%

Pell equity

13.2pp gap
Pell recipients
68%74 of 109
Non-Pell (all)
81%588 of 724
Subsidized loan, no Pell
79%187 of 238
No Federal Aid
83%401 of 486

Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.2-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.

Of 127 Title IV programs, 27 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 100 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
127
Passing
27
21.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

127programs
  • Passing27 · 21.3%
  • No Data100 · 78.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
26
No data
100

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.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

27
Theology and Religious Vocations Other
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+15.2%
$51,318 vs $44,535
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+32.5%
$46,123 vs $34,808
Philosophy
Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies
+41.9%
$49,378 vs $34,808
Social Work
First Professional Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+47.4%
$68,031 vs $46,158
Religion/Religious Studies
Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies
+51.2%
$52,638 vs $34,808
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+51.8%
$52,846 vs $34,808
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+52.2%
$52,980 vs $34,808
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+52.7%
$68,008 vs $44,535

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

22
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
131%
$148,230 debt · $112,809 earn
Social Work
First Professional Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
102%
$69,036 debt · $68,031 earn
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
59%
$26,967 debt · $46,123 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
54%
$61,500 debt · $114,102 earn
Religion/Religious Studies
Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies
51%
$27,000 debt · $52,638 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
49%
$26,000 debt · $52,846 earn
Business/Commerce General
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
48%
$50,203 debt · $103,834 earn
Library Science and Administration
First Professional Degree · Library Science
48%
$36,920 debt · $76,685 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1921Next review Jan 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 11

Action history · 13

  1. Jun 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    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
  2. Jan 2022Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  3. Oct 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  4. Jul 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  5. Jun 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$17,358
$30–48k$17,895
$48–75k$24,723
$75–110k$28,295
$110k+$37,651

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$29,561
-$7,370vs R2 Research median $36,931
Federal loans
47.8%
In-state tuition
$58,378
Out-of-state
$58,378

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 868 students received $5.1M in Pell grants, alongside $37.3M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
868
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.1M
$5,143,504 total
Direct Loans
$37.3M
3,480 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.2M
1,002 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$5.8M
1,411 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$9.5M
516 loan awards
Parent PLUS$7.8M
266 loan awards
Grad PLUS$10.0M
285 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.

Of 1,144 borrowers who entered repayment, 14 (1.2%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.2%
-1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,144
Defaulted
14
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.5%
2017
2.8%
2018
2.4%
2019
1.2%
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 Catholic

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs151
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,055 total completions
01Business
22821.6%
02Legal Professions
12411.8%
03Health Professions
11811.2%
04Engineering
11210.6%
05Theology
969.1%
06Public Admin
918.6%
07Social Sciences
918.6%
08Architecture
757.1%
09Psychology
605.7%
10Philosophy/Religion
605.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
5,243
12-mo unduplicated
5,682
Undergraduate
3,333
Graduate
2,349

Gender split

Men
49%2,773
Women
51%2,909

Race / ethnicity composition

White
53.7%
Hispanic
22.2%
Black
8.7%
Two or more
5.0%
Unknown
4.2%
Asian
3.3%
Non-resident
2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
673
404 M · 269 W
Women athletes
40.0%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$6.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$42K
$37K
Head-coach salaries
$56K
$52K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
116 M · 79 W
$181K
Football
105 M ·
$575K
Lacrosse
57 M · 35 W
$474K
Soccer
36 M · 35 W
$328K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
33 M · 37 W
$157K
Rowing
34 M · 28 W
$251K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
5.22
27 offenses · 5,171 students

3-year trend

2.172 yrs ago7.651 yr ago5.22Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
76
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
14
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Robbery
9
Motor vehicle theft
9
Fondling
4
Aggravated assault
3
Murder
1
Burglary
1

By location

27total
  • On campus3
  • Public property24

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
2
Stalking
3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons20
Drugs114
Liquor0167

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.

Student-to-faculty
11.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
312

Catholic vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Catholic selected for federal comparison reporting.

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
SubjectThe Catholic University of America
79%5,243$29,561R2 Research
70%41.3%14,890$50,539R2 Research
75%62.0%12,321$41,943R2 Research
4,401R2 Research
75%77.4%3,348$30,305R2 Research
88%25.9%7,692$36,931R2 Research
Peer group median75%51.7%6,468$36,931

Institutions like Catholic

Explore the federal data for institutions in Catholic's comparison group.

Catholic Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Financial Planning, Institutional Research and Assessment
Reports to Finance & Administration
Email
cua-pir [at] cua.edu
Phone
202-319-5012
Address
620 Michigan Ave., N.E. Washington, DC 20064

The Office of Financial Planning, Institutional Research and Assessment facilitates the university’s planning, budgetary and strategic initiatives by coordinating institutional research, institutional assessment and student learning assessment activities. The office serves as a comprehensive source of information about The Catholic University of America.

Visit IR office page
Team
3 members
  • Brian Johnston, Ph.D.
    Associate Vice President
  • Edward Trudeau
    Director of Planning & Institutional Research
  • Maritza Casas-Hernandez, Ph.D.
    Research Analyst II

Frequently asked questions about The Catholic University of America

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Catholic.

What is the graduation rate at The Catholic University of America?

The Catholic University of America reports a 6-year graduation rate of 79% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend The Catholic University of America?

The Catholic University of America reports a total enrollment of 5,243 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at The Catholic University of America?

The average net price at The Catholic University of America is $29,561 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at The Catholic University of America?

The Catholic University of America's yield rate is 13.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is The Catholic University of America located?

The Catholic University of America is located in Washington, District of Columbia 20064.

Who runs Institutional Research at The Catholic University of America?

The Catholic University of America's IR work is done by the Office of Financial Planning, Institutional Research and Assessment, which reports to Finance & Administration.

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.
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.
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.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
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.
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.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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