The Catholic University of America
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Washington, District of Columbia
Net price / year
$29,561
after grants & scholarships
higher than 78% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
83%
Graduation rate
80%
within 150% of normal time
higher than 88% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$79,320
4 years after graduating
higher than 87% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
The Catholic University of America at a glance
- What is the tuition at The Catholic University of America?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $58,378 for the 2024-25 academic year.
- What is the cost of attendance at The Catholic University of America?
- The average cost of attendance is $75,481 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at The Catholic University of America?
- The average net price is $29,561 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at The Catholic University of America?
- About 83% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- Is The Catholic University of America test optional?
- Test policy reported to the federal government: Tests neither required nor recommended.
- What is the graduation rate at The Catholic University of America?
- 80% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of The Catholic University of America earn?
- The median graduate earns $79,320 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- Graduates earn a median $79,320 four years after finishing, more than 87% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 3.0 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- 80% of students graduate on time or within 150% of normal time, higher than 88% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- At $29,561 a year, the average net price is higher than 78% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $17,358 a year on average, versus $37,651 for families earning over $110,000.
Tuition and cost of attendance at The Catholic University of America
Average net price
$29,561 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the The Catholic University of America net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$118,244
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $17,358
- $30–48k $17,895
- $48–75k $24,723
- $75–110k $28,295
- $110k+ $37,651
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $75,481
- Tuition & fees$58,378
- Books & supplies$1,216
- Room & board$18,200
- Other expenses$3,502
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $58,378
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $58,378
The Catholic University of America acceptance rate and admissions
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Tests neither required nor recommended
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from The Catholic University of America
Graduation rate
80%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
85%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$276
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
3.0 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.3×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 4.2%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 79%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $47,330 · median $73,250 · 75th percentile $101,075
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at The Catholic University of America ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 27 Small sample | $114,909 | 1 yr$69,9154 yrs$114,9095 yrs$97,224 | U.S. median $76,194 U.S. middle half $56.2K–$97.2K · Above the U.S. median | $25,725 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 51 | $98,856 | 1 yr$64,6184 yrs$98,8565 yrs$100,395 | U.S. median $83,343 U.S. middle half $60.8K–$111.5K · Above the U.S. median | $24,620 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's · Graduates: 82 | $96,949 | 1 yr$81,0444 yrs$96,9495 yrs$94,074 | U.S. median $88,910 U.S. middle half $67.9K–$114.5K · Above the U.S. median | $26,976 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 27 Small sample | $93,821 | 1 yr$77,5014 yrs$93,8215 yrs$103,238 | U.S. median $86,517 U.S. middle half $73.9K–$101.2K · Above the U.S. median | $24,625 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 16 Small sample | $91,962 | — | U.S. median $82,686 U.S. middle half $58.2K–$116.3K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 32 | $90,355 | 1 yr$76,4094 yrs$90,3555 yrs$92,376 | U.S. median $92,135 U.S. middle half $77.7K–$109.1K · Below the U.S. median | $27,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's · Graduates: 28 Small sample | $87,907 | 1 yr$57,4904 yrs$87,9075 yrs$79,779 | U.S. median $68,257 U.S. middle half $47.6K–$93.6K · Above the U.S. median | $25,500 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 59 | $85,029 | 1 yr$52,3924 yrs$85,0295 yrs$78,716 | U.S. median $69,303 U.S. middle half $49.7K–$93.2K · Above the U.S. median | $27,000 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering Bachelor's · Graduates: 25 Small sample | $81,519 | 4 yrs$81,5195 yrs$98,693 | U.S. median $93,451 U.S. middle half $74.1K–$113.9K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Political Science and Government Bachelor's · Graduates: 75 | $73,917 | 1 yr$44,6174 yrs$73,9175 yrs$70,657 | U.S. median $63,293 U.S. middle half $44.8K–$85.4K · Above the U.S. median | $25,000 |
Show all 18 programs
| Communication and Media Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 30 | $73,073 | 1 yr$43,2594 yrs$73,0735 yrs$70,420 | U.S. median $56,359 U.S. middle half $39.6K–$76.1K · Above the U.S. median | $27,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 49 | $69,838 | 1 yr$44,6154 yrs$69,8385 yrs$68,607 | U.S. median $66,914 U.S. middle half $54.2K–$78.6K · Above the U.S. median | $26,712 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 21 Small sample | $65,185 | 4 yrs$65,1855 yrs$69,749 | U.S. median $51,790 U.S. middle half $39.2K–$64.2K · Above the U.S. median | $25,500 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 24 Small sample | $52,980 | 4 yrs$52,9805 yrs$60,090 | U.S. median $50,680 U.S. middle half $36.3K–$66.7K · Above the U.S. median | $25,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 53 | $52,846 | 1 yr$24,1064 yrs$52,8465 yrs$61,999 | U.S. median $50,706 U.S. middle half $35.7K–$67.2K · Above the U.S. median | $26,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 16 Small sample | $52,638 | — | U.S. median $41,390 U.S. middle half $20.5K–$65.2K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 25 Small sample | $49,378 | 4 yrs$49,3785 yrs$62,337 | U.S. median $54,455 U.S. middle half $34.9K–$78K · Below the U.S. median | $26,759 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 42 | $46,123 | 1 yr$23,8564 yrs$46,1235 yrs$46,478 | U.S. median $42,892 U.S. middle half $26K–$58.8K · Above the U.S. median | $23,546 |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 53.7%
- Black or African American 8.7%
- Hispanic or Latino 22.2%
- Asian 3.3%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
- Two or more races 5%
- U.S. nonresident 2.9%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 4.2%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 46.2%
- Women 53.8%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
7%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,154
- Part-time students
- 6%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 20%
- Receive federal loans
- 48%
- Students per faculty member
- 11 : 1
- Setting
- City
Similar colleges
Schools of a similar type, price, size and outcomes.
-
American University
Washington, DC
Net price $41,943Earnings $79,081
-
George Washington University
Washington, DC
Net price $36,586Earnings $95,967
-
Howard University
Washington, DC
Net price $50,539Earnings $72,974
-
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Net price $40,815Earnings $119,773
-
Creighton University
Omaha, NE
Net price $31,568Earnings $81,178
-
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA
Net price $28,928Earnings $87,195
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in District of Columbia
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at The Catholic University of America?
For the 2024-25 academic year, The Catholic University of America reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $58,378. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at The Catholic University of America?
The average cost of attendance at The Catholic University of America is $75,481 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $29,561 a year. That is higher than 78% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at The Catholic University of America get?
20% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 48% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $17,358 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $37,651 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at The Catholic University of America?
The Catholic University of America admitted about 83% of applicants in fall 2024. That means most applicants are admitted.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at The Catholic University of America?
80% of first-time, full-time students at The Catholic University of America finish within 150% of normal time. 85% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do The Catholic University of America graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $79,320 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $58,049.
Is The Catholic University of America worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For The Catholic University of America, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 3.0 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $26,000, about 0.3 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 80% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
How much debt do The Catholic University of America graduates have?
Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $26,000, or about $276 a month on a 10-year plan.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things