The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

The Catholic University of America admitted 82.8% of applicants university-wide (5,558 of 6,714).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide82.8%5,5586,714
In-state80.0%400500
Out-of-state76.0%3,8005,000
International applicants60.0%300500
Men80.4%2,4763,080
Women84.8%3,0823,634

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 5,558 admitted students, 742 enrolled (13.4% yield).

The Catholic University of America U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1100–1320
ACT (mid-50%)
23–29
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.253.74

Testing policy: Test-blind (scores not considered)

The Catholic University of America U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $75,481/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$58,378
Fees, housing, food, books & other$23,916
Sticker cost of attendance$75,481/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$17,358
$30k–48k$17,895
$48k–75k$24,723
$75k–110k$28,295
Over $110k$37,651

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • President's ScholarshipUp to $28,000 per year (Merit)
  • Provost ScholarshipUp to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Provost's ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Catholic University ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Catholic University GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • Catholic University Need-Based GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • Presidential ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Trustee ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)

International applicants

Some aid available for internationals.

  • President's ScholarshipUp to $28,000 per year (Merit)
  • Provost ScholarshipUp to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Provost's ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Catholic University ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Catholic University GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • Catholic University Need-Based GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • Presidential ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Trustee ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)

The Catholic University of America U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Common Application
  • Secondary School Report and Transcripts
  • Official Transcripts from Previous Institutions
  • Letters of Recommendation (recommended)
  • Statement of Purpose (recommended)

International applicants

  • Common Application
  • Secondary School Report and Transcripts
  • Official Transcripts from Previous Institutions
  • Letters of Recommendation (recommended)
  • Statement of Purpose (recommended)
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

The Catholic University of America · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:

  1. Please write a brief statement (500 words or less) explaining why you have chosen to apply to The Catholic University of America.500 words · Required

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$73,250
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
79.5%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
87%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$26,000
At graduation

The Catholic University of America · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #169
  • WSJ: #270
  • Forbes: #286
  • Niche: #275

Deadlines

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (29%), Social sciences (11%), Engineering (8%).

Student–faculty ratio: 12:1 · 53% of class sections have under 20 students.

The Catholic University of America U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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