The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Graduate degree-granting
A private nonprofit institution in Washington, District of Columbia, accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, The Catholic University of America serves students across multiple degree programs. With 3,154 students, it is a small institution. Graduates earn a median of $73,250 ten years after enrollment, which is 80% above the national median of $40,747. The graduation rate is 80.4%. On the financial side, median graduate debt is $26,000, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 2.82x. The average net price after financial aid is $29,561 per year. The most popular programs include Business Administration & Management, Law, Registered Nursing, Political Science, and Social Work.
Key Outcomes
Median Earnings (10yr)
$73,250
Graduation Rate
80.4%
Median Debt
$26,000
Average Net Price
$29,561
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
0.62x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
2.82x
Admissions & Enrollment
Total Enrollment
3,154
Admission Rate
82.8%
Average SAT
Not reported
Retention Rate
86.5%
Cost
In-State Tuition
$58,378
Out-of-State Tuition
$58,378
Pell Grant Rate
20.3%
Federal Loan Rate
47.8%
Net Cost by Family Income
Income $0–$30K
$17,358
Income $30K–$48K
$17,895
Income $48K–$75K
$24,723
Income $110K+
$37,651
Student Demographics
Women
58.0%
White
53.7%
Black
8.7%
Hispanic
22.2%
Asian
3.3%
Two or More Races
5.0%
Student Loan Performance
Repayment Rate (3yr)
76.2%
Accreditations
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program, Nursing (MNUR) - Master's program (Accredited)
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar — Law (LAW) - Professional schools (Accredited)
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation — Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs, Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Accredited)
- 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 (Accredited)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education — Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels, Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels, Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels (Accredited)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education — Institutional Accreditation (Accredited)
- National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation — Music (MUS) (Accredited)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education — Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools (Accredited)
Programs (109)
Bachelor (32)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $87,907 | 164 |
| Registered Nursing | $96,949 | 77 |
| Political Science | $73,917 | 64 |
| Psychology | $52,846 | 52 |
| Architecture | $69,838 | 43 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $90,355 | 32 |
| Philosophy | $49,378 | 30 |
| Music | $46,123 | 27 |
| Communications | $73,073 | 23 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $81,519 | 21 |
| History | $52,980 | 21 |
| Business | Not reported | 18 |
| Civil Engineering | $93,821 | 15 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 15 |
| Biology | Not reported | 15 |
| Accounting | $114,909 | 15 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 12 |
| Criminology | Not reported | 11 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 10 |
| Teacher Education | Not reported | 10 |
| Romance Languages | Not reported | 9 |
| Religion | $52,638 | 8 |
| Social Work | $65,185 | 8 |
| Fine Arts | Not reported | 8 |
| Economics | $91,962 | 7 |
| Sociology | Not reported | 7 |
| Physics | Not reported | 6 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 5 |
| Education | Not reported | 4 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | Not reported | 3 |
| Marketing | $85,029 | 1 |
| Finance | $98,856 | 0 |
Master (28)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | Not reported | 57 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $68,008 | 51 |
| Library Science | Not reported | 29 |
| Business Administration & Management | Not reported | 29 |
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | $51,318 | 23 |
| Psychology | Not reported | 23 |
| Architecture | Not reported | 18 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 18 |
| Civil Engineering | Not reported | 12 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Not reported | 11 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 11 |
| Registered Nursing | $114,102 | 11 |
| Physics | Not reported | 9 |
| Music | Not reported | 9 |
| Political Science | Not reported | 8 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Economics | Not reported | 6 |
| Information Science | Not reported | 5 |
| Legal Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 5 |
| Religious Education | Not reported | 4 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | Not reported | 4 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 4 |
| Teacher Education | Not reported | 3 |
| Materials Science | Not reported | 3 |
| Business | $103,834 | 0 |
Doctoral (12)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | $82,608 | 19 |
| Registered Nursing | Not reported | 19 |
| Music | Not reported | 8 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 6 |
| Cognitive Psychology | Not reported | 5 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 4 |
| Physics | Not reported | 4 |
| Social Work | Not reported | 4 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 3 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not reported | 3 |
| Biology | Not reported | 3 |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | Not reported | 3 |
First Professional (5)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Law | $112,809 | 107 |
| Architecture | $78,902 | Not reported |
| Library Science | $76,685 | Not reported |
| Social Work | $68,031 | Not reported |
| Business Administration & Management | $111,378 | Not reported |
Graduate Certificate (1)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Not reported | 6 |
Show 31 additional programs with limited data
| Program | Level | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary Education | Bachelor | 2 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Master | 2 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Doctoral | 2 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| English Language & Literature | Doctoral | 2 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Bachelor | 2 |
| Cell Biology | Doctoral | 2 |
| Biotechnology | Master | 2 |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor | 2 |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | Master | 2 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor | 2 |
| Clinical Psychology | Doctoral | 2 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor | 2 |
| Political Science | Doctoral | 2 |
| Registered Nursing | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Information Science | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
| Education | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Civil Engineering | Doctoral | 1 |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor | 1 |
| Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor | 1 |
| Middle Eastern Languages | Master | 1 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor | 1 |
| English Language & Literature | Master | 1 |
| Library Science | Undergraduate Certificate | 1 |
| Biology | Master | 1 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Doctoral | 1 |
| Religious Education | Doctoral | 1 |
| Archeology | Bachelor | 1 |
| Sociology | Master | 1 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | Bachelor | 1 |
| History | Master | 1 |
Rankings Featuring This Institution
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Architecture Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Engineering Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Nursing & Health Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Earning Master's Nursing & Health Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Business Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Psychology Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Social Sciences Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Visual & Performing Arts Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Communications Programs in District of Columbia
- Highest Job Growth Master's Philosophy Programs