The Catholic University of America (CUA) vs American University

The Catholic University of America and American University, both located in the heart of Washington, D.C., offer distinct educational experiences. The Catholic University of America, a private Catholic institution, boasts a lower acceptance rate (68%) compared to American University's (73%). While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, The Catholic University of America excels in theology and religious studies, while American University is renowned for its international studies and public affairs programs. The student body demographics also vary, with The Catholic University of America having a higher percentage of female students (58%) than American University (53%). Additionally, The Catholic University of America has a slightly higher graduation rate (84%) compared to American University's (82%). Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	American University	The Catholic University of America
Overview
Location	Washington, District of Columbia	Washington, District of Columbia
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	90.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.1%	86.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $61	$60
SAT range	1280 - 1440	N/A
ACT range	29 - 33	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%
Students submitting ACT score	18.0%
Total number of applicants	19,650	5,895
Total number of admissions given out	12,594	5,070
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,372	691
Yield rate	18.8%	13.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$70,512	$74,126
Average net price	$28,622	$35,520
Tuition	$52,542	$51,040
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,096 Meal plan: $6,314	Room/dormitory: $9,220 Meal plan: $6,800
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	64.0% Average amount $27,332	96.0% Average amount $31,915
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $4,933	56.0% Average amount $5,308
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $25,877	9.0% Average amount $22,405

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,463 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	2,929 Men 44.1% Women 55.9%
Graduate students	6,389 Men 37.1% Women 62.9%	2,130 Men 47.2% Women 52.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	10.6%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	4,080	1,985
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Legal Profession Social Sciences Public Administration and Social Service Education	Business Public Administration and Social Service Legal Profession Visual & Performing Arts Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	78.7%	73.7%
Dropout rate	20.9%	26.2%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Taxation (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,187 Year 2: $97,907 Year 3: $111,993 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,205 Year 2: $99,458 Year 3: $107,216 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,457 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $93,099 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,734 Year 2: $74,953 Year 3: $85,544 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,308 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $80,276 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $60,267 Year 2: $63,203 Year 3: $78,002 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,356 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $76,697 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,014 Year 3: $76,448 International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,460 Year 2: $63,692 Year 3: $73,342 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,600 Year 3: $72,861	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,058 Year 2: $100,690 Year 3: $108,981 Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $73,312 Year 2: $89,092 Year 3: $98,232 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,088 Year 2: $73,769 Year 3: $83,282 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $62,128 Year 2: $64,162 Year 3: $80,941 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,938 Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $77,885 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,277 Year 2: $54,035 Year 3: $77,782 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,219 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $77,474 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,927 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $74,919 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $71,180 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,697 Year 2: $63,377 Year 3: $66,355

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