Innovative programs and a beautiful, green campus are just the beginning of Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ's national leadership, as reflected in an array of rankings, recognitions, and other honors.

Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ is in the Colleges of Distinction, a group of fewer than 400 institutions from across the nation assessed for their strengths in four primary areas of student and family interest:
Quality of teaching
Student engagement
Sense of community
Successful postgraduate outcomes

A deliberately diverse collection of public and private colleges and universities, inclusion on the is determined by each institution's "commitment to the undergraduate experience." Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ is one of only three in the District of Columbia to appear on the list.

The Princeton Review's selection of America's Best 386 Colleges, #8 for Most Engaged in Community Service

CatholicU also continues its longtime presence among The Princeton Review’s selection of America's , based on annual surveys of more than 140,000 students nationwide about their on-campus experience. Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ was ranked . In addition to giving the ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ high marks for “the small class sizes and individualized support from academic advisors,” CatholicU students say they appreciate the “tremendous perks” of living and studying in Washington, D.C., like “great access to internship and job opportunities.”

CatholicU ranks #21 in the nation on Best Green Colleges in the U.S., according to College Consensus.

— both in research and the ongoing development of the campus — earns Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ a further spot on The Princeton Review's that are enacting meaningful sustainability-related policies. The online resource College Consensus ranks CatholicU #21 in the nation on its list of the , thanks to the ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ’s embrace of renewable energy and sustainability that draws on traditional Catholic values of stewardship for the Earth. The ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ was honored with a  recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. The Tree Campus Higher Education program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. And the ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ is recognized as a  by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. In addtion, CatholicU was included in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition. This is the third year in a row that Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ has been by the Princeton Review.

More of the ‘Best’

CatholicU ranked by college guide publisher Niche on lists of:
Best Catholic Colleges in the U.S.
Best Colleges in America
Best Private Universities in America
Best Colleges in Washington, D.C.

The college guide publisher Niche — recently among the 50 fastest-growing companies in America — also ranks CatholicU highly, including it on lists for the , , , and

And the ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ remains the only comprehensive research university recommended by the , which highlights faithfully Catholic colleges. 

University is ranked #87 for best value by U.S. News and World Report.

The ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ also ranked No. 87 out of 191 national universities for the best value. U.S. News & World Report also salutes Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ (overall rank: #176) elsewhere on its lists for , , and 

In addition to being a Best College for Veterans, the ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ has been named a Military Friendly® school for the fourth year in a row. For the 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Cycle it was awarded silver level for being a Military Friendly® school. Military Friendly® conducts an annual comprehensive review of college and university investments in serving military and veteran students. ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ also was ranked #12 in the mid-Atlantic region by Military Times for their

For the 2023-2024 cycle, Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ was also a “Designated” institution for military spouses by VIQTORY for the first time. The main assessment factors that VIQTORY evaluated the ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ on were our Military Student Support & Retention, Graduation/ Career outcomes and Financial Aid processes. 

The Conway School of Nursing is ranked #27 on the U.S. News and World Report’s list of the 220 Best Graduate Schools for Nursing. The online master's in nursing program ranked #6 in the nation.

U.S. News & World Report recently boosted the Conway School of Nursing's graduate program to and the online master's in nursing program to . The undergraduate program in nursing was ranked #43 in the country, placing it in the top six percent of nursing programs in the U.S.

From A to Z

  • Male student pointing to an architectural drawing

    Architecture and Planning

    Niche recognizes Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ’s among its .
  • Male student sitting next to a piano

    Arts

    The earns a spot as one of the country's , according to Niche, which also recognizes the school as a .
  • Accounting professor pointing to equation on a white board

    Business

    The was named one of Niche’s And the Wall Street Journal ranks our Accounting graduates in the first 10 years after graduation.
  • Male student teacher overseeing a class

    Education

    U.S. News & World Report ranks the in its list of .
  • Female engineering alumna at a construction site

    Engineering

    U.S News & World Report includes the on both its lists of  , and Best Computer Science Programs

    The engineering school is also considered a by Niche.

  • English professor leading a discussion about a book

    English

    U.S News & World Report includes CatholicU's in the publication's list of .
  • Professor showing students a historic book

    History

    The offers one of the available, according to U.S News & World Report. Niche also lists Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ as one of the .
  • Nurse standing outside hospital

    Nursing

    The Conway School of Nursing was ranked . U.S. News also ranked the.
  • Students sitting outside reading philosophy books

    Philosophy

    In a recent survey of 123 doctoral programs in philosophy, Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ’s PhD program in philosophy was , along with being ranked tenth in the job placement category. One of the surveyed students described the program as follows: "Strong historical approach, unusual among Anglophone universities - Excellent and large faculty across all major historical periods and schools - Vibrant intellectual climate, among both faculty and graduate students - The institution has a vibrant Catholic faith, but at the same time is warm and welcoming to students of other religious persuasions." The survey was carried out by , a project which was originally founded with grant money from the American Philosophical Association and which maintains a special focus on job placement.

    Niche also names the among the nation's .

  • Female student standing outside Capitol

    Political Science

    Our location in the nation's capital makes  a popular major at CatholicU, which places highly on Niche's list of .
  • Female student with apparatus on her head in a psychology lab

    Psychology

    Catholic ÃÛÌÒ½»ÓÑ introduced the study of in the United States, and according to U.S. News & World Report, it remains one of the country's .
  • Student walking with books in front of statue of Mary

    Religious Studies

    Our internationally recognized  is considered by Niche one of the .
  • Social work students working at Miriam's Kitchen

    Social Work

    The 102-year-old continues to be a U.S. News & World Report .