The Catholic University of America

What The Catholic University of America does

The Catholic University of America is a private, nonprofit R1 research university founded in 1887 by American bishops and headquartered on a 173-acre campus in Washington, D.C., adjacent to Capitol Hill. It enrolls more than 5,000 students (approximately 3,000 undergraduate and 2,400 graduate and law students) from all 50 U.S. states and 84 countries, offering more than 250 academic programs across 12 schools and colleges. These include the Busch School of Business, Conway School of Nursing, Columbus School of Law, School of Architecture and Allied Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering/Physics/Computing, School of Canon Law, School of Philosophy, School of Professional Studies, National Catholic School of Social Service, School of Theology and Religious Studies, and Theological College. The university holds the only pontifical authorization for canon law and theology in the United States, with the School of Canon Law being the only such program in the country.

The institution generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees ($60,500 standard undergraduate, $61,240 for Architecture/Engineering, with graduate and law pricing varying by program), housing and dining services, endowment returns, and targeted program grants such as a $1,128,941 Lilly Endowment Inc. award for the Excellence in Catholic Preaching Initiative. Auxiliary revenue streams include summer pre-college programs ($225 per credit for dual enrollment), study abroad programs (notably the Rome Center in Italy), and online/evening/accelerated courses through the School of Professional Studies. Pricing is offset by significant institutional aid — 95% of first-year students receive scholarships and/or grants, with an average net price of $31,868 for 2024-25 — which functions as a demand-acquisition lever against the $89,486 sticker cost of attendance.

Distinguished R1 research capabilities include participation in CERN's Large Hadron Collider CMS pixel detector upgrades, a Smithsonian Institution partnership for geodesic dome reconstruction, and a new virtual hospital environment with VR/AR simulation in the Conway School of Nursing. Distribution advantages flow from D.C. proximity to the U.S. Supreme Court, NIH, NASA Goddard, Library of Congress, FBI, Department of Defense, and major law firms, generating internship pipelines that anchor a 93% post-graduation placement rate and a 96% first-time NCLEX pass rate. The university announced the establishment of an AI Institute in November 2025 alongside disclosed enrollment growth of nearly 14% over three years, signaling active portfolio expansion.

Name

The Catholic University of America

Legal name

The Catholic University of America

Website

https://catholic.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Catholic University of America is a private, nonprofit R1 research university in Washington, D.C., offering 250+ academic programs across 12 schools to approximately 5,000 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, and serving as the only pontifical university in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ), Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM), Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Catholic research university
• Professional studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition charges for undergraduate programs. Standard tuition is $60,500 per year with differential pricing for Architecture ($61,240) and Engineering ($61,240). Additional fees and living costs bring total cost of attendance to approximately $89,486.
2. Graduate and Professional Studies Tuition: Graduate tuition rates vary by program. Professional and continuing studies programs offer online, evening, and accelerated courses with separate pricing structures.
3. Housing and Dining: On-campus housing (approximately $12,160 allowance) and dining services (approximately $8,780 food allowance) contribute to revenue through residential living costs.
4. Endowment and Grant Funding: Significant grant funding from organizations such as Lilly Endowment Inc. ($1,128,941 for Excellence in Catholic Preaching Initiative) supports specific programs and initiatives.
5. Summer and Pre-College Programs: Revenue from summer pre-college programs including dual enrollment courses at $225 per credit, summer institutes, and residential camps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The Catholic University of America is a private, non-profit research university offering more than 250 academic programs across 12 schools and colleges, including undergraduate, master's, doctoral, certificate, and professional degrees. It delivers education through on-campus, online, and hybrid formats, supported by guaranteed clinical placements in nursing, federal agency internships, NCAA Division III athletics, and a flagship study abroad program at its Rome Center in Italy.

Product overview

The Catholic University of America is a national research university offering more than 250 academic programs across 12 schools and colleges. Its product portfolio is organized around distinct schools and colleges, each serving as a semi-autonomous academic unit: the Busch School of Business, Conway School of Nursing, Columbus School of Law, School of Architecture and Allied Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering/Physics/Computing, School of Canon Law, School of Philosophy, School of Professional Studies, National Catholic School of Social Service, and School of Theology and Religious Studies. Additionally, the institution operates technology platforms including Cardinal Learn by Brightspace (LMS) and Cardinal Station (student portal), along with the Rome Center study abroad program. The university recently announced an AI institute as a new initiative and holds R1 research institution designation, distinguishing it among U.S. universities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Busch School of Business: School of Business focused on business education integrating Catholic values and principles
• Conway School of Nursing
• Columbus School of Law
• School of Canon Law
• National Catholic School of Social Service

Products and services

• Busch School of Business

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of undergraduates employed, in graduate school, or engaged in service/religious life 6 months after graduation
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• 15+ Healthcare Facilities in D.C. Metropolitan AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with more than 15 world-class healthcare facilities in the Washington, D.C. area guarantee clinical placements for nursing students. Two-thirds of nursing graduates are hired by these clinical partners.
• American Council on EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting the third annual convening of the ACE Commission on Faith-Based Colleges and Universities. University presidents, faith leaders, and civic leaders convened to discuss fostering civil dialogue and navigating campus polarization under the theme 'Learning to Disagree Better.'
• Oxford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic University Oxford Program offers study abroad opportunities at Oxford University, England, as one of the featured international study abroad partnerships.
• Katholische Universität Eichstätt-IngolstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy abroad partnership with the Catholic University in Eichstätt, Germany, providing students opportunities for immersive German language and cultural studies.
• Smithsonian InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership with the Smithsonian Institution to reconstruct the first full-scale geodesic dome erected in North America. Architecture students are helping with this groundbreaking reconstruction project.
• CERNflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity researchers participate in international efforts upgrading CERN's Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest particle accelerator. Campus lab building critical components for CMS pixel detector upgrades for the next generation of discoveries.
• Federal Government AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbus School of Law provides students with unparalleled year-round access to professional experiences through proximity to the White House, Capitol, U.S. Supreme Court, hundreds of federal agencies, and prestigious law firms.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Georgetown University: Jesuit, Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., directly competing with CUA for Catholic-aligned undergraduate, law, and graduate applicants in the same metro. Both institutions leverage the D.C. federal-location advantage for career outcomes and faith-based identity.
• University of Notre Dame: The preeminent Catholic research university in the U.S., competing head-to-head with CUA for the same pool of faith-seeking, high-achieving undergraduates nationwide. Comparable R1 designation and Catholic mission, but with substantially larger brand, endowment, and Division I athletics.
• Boston College: Jesuit, Catholic research university with comparable undergraduate profile, mission-driven identity, and similar 9:1-class-size positioning. Directly competes for Catholic-aligned East Coast applicants with strong pre-professional outcomes.
• Villanova University: Augustinian Catholic research university with similar undergraduate scale, faith-based positioning, and Division I athletics profile. Competes directly for Catholic-seeking undergraduates in the Mid-Atlantic with strong placement outcomes.
• Marquette University: Jesuit, Catholic research university with overlapping professional programs (nursing, law, business) and similar enrollment scale (~11k students). Direct competitor for Catholic-aligned Midwestern and national applicants.
• Fordham University: Jesuit, Catholic research university in New York with comparable graduate/professional programs and similar undergraduate scale. Competes with CUA for Catholic-aligned applicants, particularly in the Northeast corridor and for law/business graduate enrollment.
• DePaul University: Largest Catholic university in the U.S. (Vincentian) with comparable professional programs and urban-campus positioning. Targets similar mission-driven, value-oriented Catholic applicants, particularly in the Midwest.

Broad incumbents

• George Washington University: Large private non-Catholic D.C. research university sharing the same D.C. federal-internship advantage as CUA. Competes for the same D.C.-location-driven law, political science, and international affairs applicants but without the Catholic/mission differentiation.
• Baylor University: Largest Baptist-affiliated private research university, comparable in combining R1 research status with faith-based identity and competitive NCAA Division I athletics. Serves as a faith-aligned peer benchmark outside the Catholic segment.

Emerging players

• Gonzaga University: Jesuit, Catholic university with strong recent brand ascent (driven by NCAA basketball success) and similar undergraduate profile. Competes for Catholic-seeking West Coast and national applicants with growing Division I visibility.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CatholicUniv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CatholicUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatholicUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-catholic-university-of-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/catholicuniversity

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Catholic University of America