The Catholic University of America

The Catholic University of America is a private non-profit institution located in Washington, DC, with an enrollment of approximately 3,154 students. The university admits a large share of its applicants — its acceptance rate of 82.8% means that most people who apply are offered admission.

Tuition is $58,378 per year regardless of whether a student is from in or out of state. However, many students pay significantly less than the published tuition figure. The average net price — meaning the total annual cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, and living expenses, after grant and scholarship aid is applied — is $29,561. This figure represents what a typical student actually pays out of pocket or through loans, not a standalone tuition number. About 20.3% of enrolled students receive Pell Grants, a federal aid program for lower-income students.

Among students who take out federal loans and go on to complete their program, the median federal student loan debt is $26,000. Approximately 47.8% of all enrolled students borrow federal loans. Of those borrowers, 76.2% are actively reducing their loan balance within three years of entering repayment — a figure known as the loan repayment rate.

The university has a graduation rate of 79.5%, and 86.5% of students return for their second year. On earnings, the median income 10 years after enrollment is $73,250. It is worth noting that this figure is measured across all federally-aided students who enrolled — including those who left without completing a degree — so it reflects a broad mix of outcomes rather than graduates alone.

Among the programs relevant to career-focused students researching this school, The Catholic University of America offers coursework in library science, preparing students for roles as librarians and information professionals.