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School data & stats
Outcomes
Cost
Community
Overview
The Catholic University of America, in Washington, DC, holds a unique status as the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, chartered with papal approval, and it sits adjacent to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Its identity is more explicitly tied to the institutional Church than most other Catholic universities.
Academics
Architecture, music, nursing, politics, and philosophy are its standout programs, and the architecture and music schools in particular carry reputations well beyond what a school its size would suggest. Its politics and law-adjacent programs benefit directly from the university's Washington location, with easy access to internships on Capitol Hill and across the federal government.
Campus & student life
The campus is a self-contained, traditional quad within the city, connected to the rest of Washington by Metro, giving students both a defined campus community and full access to the capital's internship and cultural opportunities. Catholic identity and religious life are visible and genuinely central to campus culture, more so than at many other Catholic-affiliated universities.
Getting in
Applicants should expect genuine engagement with Catholic mission and identity to matter in admissions, alongside academic credentials, particularly for students applying to programs like theology, canon law, or ministry.
After graduation
The Washington location feeds directly into government, policy, law, and Catholic-institutional career paths, and its architecture and music graduates place into recognizable professional programs and firms.
Admissions
Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)
Applying
catholic.edu ↗High school coursework
Recommended17 total academic units recommended, including: 4 years of English · 4 years of history/social studies · 4 years of mathematics · 3 years of science, including at least 2 years of laboratory science · 2 years of a foreign language
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