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The Catholic University of America

The Catholic University of America is a private campus in Washington proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. The school reports a Roman Catholic affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$22,216

family income
under $30k

$19,709

$30–48k

$25,667

$48–75k

$31,131

$75–110k

$39,898

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$29,5612023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at The Catholic University of America has held near $29,561 from 2008 to 2023.

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$31,251
2009	$35,011
2010	$34,260
2011	$33,931
2012	$34,086
2013	$34,770
2014	$35,188
2015	$34,542
2016	$32,731
2017	$34,972
2018	$34,230
2019	$34,684
2020	$33,452
2021	$33,417
2022	$32,798
2023	$29,561

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$75,4812024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at The Catholic University of America rose from $45,620 (2009) to $75,481 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$45,620
2010	$47,524
2011	$50,072
2012	$53,184
2013	$54,023
2014	$55,995
2015	$56,084
2016	$57,561
2017	$59,591
2018	$61,627
2019	$63,639
2020	$65,857
2021	$67,366
2022	$70,559
2023	$73,198
2024	$75,481

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$19,930
2001	$20,950
2002	$22,000
2003	$23,250
2004	$23,600
2005	$24,800
2006	$27,440
2007	$28,990
2008	$30,670
2013	$38,526
2014	$39,726
2015	$40,932
2016	$42,536
2017	$44,060
2018	$45,804
2019	$47,746
2020	$49,416
2021	$52,156
2022	$54,186
2023	$55,834

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $58,378 before grants and other attendance costs. At The Catholic University of America, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

At 3,154 undergrads, The Catholic University of America is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.

79.5% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at The Catholic University of America within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

79.5%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at The Catholic University of America rose from 70.5% (entered 1991) to 79.5% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	70.5%
1992 cohort	67.7%
1993 cohort	70.1%
1994 cohort	70.5%
1995 cohort	66.1%
1996 cohort	65.3%
1997 cohort	68.6%
1998 cohort	73.4%
1999 cohort	70.5%
2000 cohort	67.5%
2001 cohort	74.6%
2002 cohort	70.6%
2003 cohort	72.1%
2004 cohort	68.7%
2005 cohort	68.3%
2006 cohort	67.4%
2007 cohort	68.5%
2008 cohort	66.6%
2009 cohort	69.3%
2010 cohort	70.1%
2011 cohort	73.6%
2012 cohort	75.8%
2013 cohort	72.4%
2014 cohort	74.2%
2015 cohort	73.7%
2016 cohort	76.3%
2017 cohort	81.3%
2018 cohort	79.5%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	—	$11,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$14,925	$12,750
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	—	$14,500
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	—	$12,875
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$15,125	$8,813
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$15,125	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$15,313	$2,963
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$15,625	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,106	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$18,625	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$21,250	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$23,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$25,000	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$26,000	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$26,000	$7,750
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$26,000	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$26,861	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$26,000	$8,371
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$26,036	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$26,000	$8,521
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$26,000	$8,750

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$63,217

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$70,095

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$73,250

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

The Catholic University of America admitted 5,558 of 6,714 applicants in Fall 2024. The 82.8% rate describes that application pool.

82.8%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $55,834 tuition · 2023–24 3,154 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Tests not considered · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, The Catholic University of America received 6,714 applications and admitted 5,558 (82.8%), with 742 enrolling.

The Catholic University of America did not consider scores in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. No score range is displayed for The Catholic University of America under that historical policy.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Acceptance rate

82.8%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	84.6%
Fall 2002	84.6%
Fall 2003	81.9%
Fall 2004	81.9%
Fall 2005	82.1%
Fall 2006	81.3%
Fall 2007	81.2%
Fall 2008	81.1%
Fall 2009	81.1%
Fall 2010	86%
Fall 2011	86.8%
Fall 2012	63.1%
Fall 2013	60.1%
Fall 2014	73.9%
Fall 2015	78.6%
Fall 2016	79.5%
Fall 2017	82.6%
Fall 2018	83.7%
Fall 2019	85.4%
Fall 2020	82.2%
Fall 2021	86%
Fall 2022	85.6%
Fall 2023	83.8%
Fall 2024	82.8%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1020–1230Fall 2014 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	1050	1260
Fall 2002	1050	1260
Fall 2003	1050	1280
Fall 2004	1050	1270
Fall 2005	1030	1260
Fall 2006	1040	1250
Fall 2007	1050	1180
Fall 2008	1010	1220
Fall 2009	1010	1220
Fall 2010	1010	1210
Fall 2011	1000	1220
Fall 2012	1010	1220
Fall 2013	1010	1220
Fall 2014	1020	1230

IPEDS Fall 2001–2014, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

22–28Fall 2014 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2003	21	28
Fall 2004	22	28
Fall 2005	21	27
Fall 2006	21	27
Fall 2007	22	27
Fall 2008	21	27
Fall 2009	21	27
Fall 2010	21	26
Fall 2011	22	27
Fall 2012	22	27
Fall 2013	22	27
Fall 2014	22	28

IPEDS Fall 2003–2014, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

3,154Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at The Catholic University of America rose from 2,631 (Fall 2002) to 3,154 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	2,631
Fall 2003	2,724
Fall 2004	2,871
Fall 2005	3,007
Fall 2006	3,083
Fall 2007	3,245
Fall 2008	3,431
Fall 2009	3,422
Fall 2010	3,519
Fall 2011	3,544
Fall 2012	3,629
Fall 2013	3,641
Fall 2014	3,529
Fall 2015	3,462
Fall 2016	3,220
Fall 2017	3,284
Fall 2018	3,294
Fall 2019	3,245
Fall 2020	3,017
Fall 2021	2,891
Fall 2022	2,958
Fall 2023	3,063
Fall 2024	3,154

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

87%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at The Catholic University of America has held near 87% from Fall 2003 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	85%
Fall 2004 cohort	82%
Fall 2005 cohort	81%
Fall 2006 cohort	82%
Fall 2007 cohort	80%
Fall 2008 cohort	81%
Fall 2009 cohort	80%
Fall 2010 cohort	80%
Fall 2011 cohort	84%
Fall 2012 cohort	83%
Fall 2013 cohort	82%
Fall 2014 cohort	86%
Fall 2015 cohort	84%
Fall 2016 cohort	86%
Fall 2017 cohort	87%
Fall 2018 cohort	88%
Fall 2019 cohort	86%
Fall 2020 cohort	88%
Fall 2021 cohort	88%
Fall 2022 cohort	83%
Fall 2023 cohort	87%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about The Catholic University of America

20.3% of The Catholic University of America's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes The Catholic University of America as a primarily residential campus of 3,154 undergraduates — and 86.5% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

The Catholic University of America reported not considering test scores in Fall 2024, when its admission rate was 82.8%. Review The Catholic University of America's current requirements before applying; use the GPA calculator for your semester numbers.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How The Catholic University of America compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

The Catholic University of America82.8%

District of Columbia median58.1%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

The Catholic University of America$58,378

District of Columbia median$31,210

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

The Catholic University of America's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

The Catholic University of America$73,250

District of Columbia median$63,066

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

The Catholic University of America, District of Columbia and national reference values
Metric & basis	The Catholic University of America	District of Columbia median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	82.8%	58.1%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$58,378	$31,210	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$73,250	$63,066	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For The Catholic University of America, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

The Catholic University of America federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 18 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Accounting and Related Services	$114,909
Finance and Financial Management Services	$98,856
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$96,949
Civil Engineering	$93,821
Economics	$91,962
Mechanical Engineering	$90,355
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$87,907
Marketing	$85,029
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$81,519
Political Science and Government	$73,917
Communication and Media Studies	$73,073
Architecture	$69,838
Social Work	$65,185
History	$52,980
Psychology, General	$52,846
Religion/Religious Studies	$52,638
Philosophy	$49,378
Music	$46,123

These 18 fields listed for The Catholic University of America measure earnings after completion. The $73,250 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 35 additional The Catholic University of America fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does The Catholic University of America report?

The Catholic University of America did not consider scores in Fall 2024: 82.8% admitted. Check current requirements.

What is The Catholic University of America's acceptance rate?

82.8% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 5,558 admitted from 6,714 applicants.

How much does The Catholic University of America cost?

At The Catholic University of America, tuition is $58,378. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does The Catholic University of America report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $73,250. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in District of Columbia

American University — 62% admitted
University of the District of Columbia
Gallaudet University — 58.1% admitted
George Washington University — 47.1% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.