The Catholic University of America (CUA) vs Loyola Chicago

The Catholic University of America and Loyola University Chicago, both esteemed Catholic institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. The Catholic University of America, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a higher acceptance rate (73%) compared to Loyola University Chicago's 58%. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, The Catholic University of America excels in theology and religious studies, while Loyola University Chicago is renowned for its business and nursing programs. The student body demographics also vary, with The Catholic University of America having a slightly higher percentage of female students (56%) than Loyola University Chicago (52%). As for graduation rates, Loyola University Chicago holds a slight edge with a 79% graduation rate compared to The Catholic University of America's 77%. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, providing valuable insights to guide your choice.
The Catholic University of America logo

The Catholic University of America

Loyola University Chicago logo

Loyola University Chicago

Overview

Location Washington, District of Columbia Chicago, Illinois
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 88.0% 88.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.0% 77.0%
Application fees $60
SAT range N/A 1160 - 1360
ACT range N/A 27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score 23.0%
Students submitting ACT score 22.0%
Total number of applicants 5,895 37,824
Total number of admissions given out 5,070 29,117
Admitted students who chose to enroll 691 2,867
Yield rate 13.6% 9.8%
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 $74,126 $63,074
Average net price $35,520 $29,371
Tuition $51,040 $46,410
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,220

Meal plan: $6,800
Room/dormitory: $9,400

Meal plan: $5,780
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

96.0%
Average amount $31,915
98.0%
Average amount $25,854
Students receiving federal student loan 56.0%
Average amount $5,308
44.0%
Average amount $5,419
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $22,405
8.0%
Average amount $17,984

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,929
Men 44.1% Women 55.9%
11,819
Men 31.8% Women 68.2%
Graduate students 2,130
Men 47.2% Women 52.8%
5,679
Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 50.0%
International students 8.3% 3.3%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,985 3,902
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Illinois Michigan Minnesota California Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Legal Profession
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 73.7% 72.0%
Dropout rate 26.2% 27.4%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,817
  • Year 2: $220,906
  • Year 3: $179,958
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,218
  • Year 2: $97,604
  • Year 3: $105,174
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,836
  • Year 2: $87,470
  • Year 3: $104,925
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,863
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $88,922
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,345
  • Year 2: $65,424
  • Year 3: $85,807
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,864
  • Year 2: $66,821
  • Year 3: $82,913
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,124
  • Year 2: $61,380
  • Year 3: $75,618
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,063
  • Year 2: $66,029
  • Year 3: $74,558
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,529
  • Year 2: $56,544
  • Year 3: $70,042
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,111
  • Year 2: $66,195
  • Year 3: $69,151

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Samford University Samford University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's College of California
The Catholic University of America CUA vs American University American University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Georgetown University Georgetown University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago
The Catholic University of America CUA vs University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Bellarmine University Bellarmine University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Mount St. Mary's University Mount St. Mary's University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Boston College Boston College
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Endicott College Endicott College
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Seton Hall University Seton Hall University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Canisius College Canisius College
The Catholic University of America CUA vs St. John's University-New York St. John's University-New York
The Catholic University of America CUA vs University of Dayton University of Dayton
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Xavier University Xavier University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Mount Angel Seminary Mount Angel Seminary
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Duquesne University Duquesne University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Villanova University Villanova University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Wilkes University Wilkes University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Christian Brothers University Christian Brothers University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Tennessee State University Tennessee State University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Marymount University Marymount University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Gonzaga University Gonzaga University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Marquette University Marquette University
The Catholic University of America CUA vs Chamberlain University-Virginia Chamberlain University-Virginia
The Catholic University of America CUA vs John Paul the Great Catholic University John Paul the Great Catholic University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Samuel Merritt University Samuel Merritt University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs University of San Francisco University of San Francisco
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs DePaul University DePaul University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Saint Peter's University Saint Peter's University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Seton Hall University Seton Hall University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Canisius College Canisius College
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs D'Youville College D'Youville College
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Daemen University Daemen University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Iona College Iona College
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Le Moyne College Le Moyne College
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Manhattan College Manhattan College
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Niagara University Niagara University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Siena College Siena College
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Belmont University Belmont University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Gonzaga University Gonzaga University
Loyola University Chicago Loyola Chicago vs Chamberlain University-Illinois Chamberlain University-Illinois