Catholic University of America

The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a seminary – and the only institution of higher education founded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Established in 1887 as a graduate and research center following approval by Pope Leo XIII, the university began offering undergraduate education in 1904. In the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, it is classified as "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".

Its campus is adjacent to the Brookland neighborhood, known as "Little Rome," which contains 60 Catholic institutions, including Trinity Washington University, the Dominican House of Studies, Archbishop Carroll High School, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

CUA's programs emphasize the liberal arts, professional education, and personal development. The school stays closely connected with the Catholic Church and Catholic organizations. The residential U.S. cardinals put on the American Cardinals Dinner each year to raise scholarship funds. The university also has a long history of working with the Knights of Columbus; its law school has dedications to the involvement and support of the Knights.





== History ==





=== Founding ===



At the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops first discussed the need for a national Catholic university.