Catholic University of America Top Questions

The best thing about Catholic is definitely its location within the Washington DC area. Not located in the best of neighborhoods, I have only been mugged once in 4 years which is more than most. Change at Catholic does not come easily, but if there was one thing to change, I would bring better food on campus, because the Pryz (cafeteria) really isn't awesome. The school is small enough where you see the same people every three days but big enough for it to not be awkward. Mostly everyone drinks except for the super-religious which is nice, but be warned it is a dry campus, but that does it mean much of anything. The administration is both good and bad, and just passed single sex dorms for next year. There is much controversy over it but honestly it will not be that much of an inconvenience, there are plenty of loop holes. And loop holes make it fun. We have an extremely fun event every year called luau which all the students look forward too but that is mainly the only fullyl participatory all campus event you will ever attend. Most other event are lucky to get half of the school. There are a lot of students who work in DC and that is the main highlight of the school.

I could not say enough about my experiences at CUA. Coming from suburban NJ to a big city like DC had me thinking that I would be overwhelmed and that I would have a lot of growing to do in a few short months. Luckily, CUA provided my parents and I with a very smooth transition. Being that our school brings people from all over the country, it was easy to bond with new friends over our experiences of leaving our comfort zone. Academic wise, the course load is challenging, but the professors are always available for assistance and guidence. As a Senior, I wish my time did not have to come to an end so quickly because I feel like there are so many more classes that I want to take and experiences that I want to take away. I will miss the lunches/dinners in the Pryz, the organizations I belong to, and my relationships with faculty, staff, and administration here on campus. The only thing I would change would be the available parking spots for students, even though you don't even really need a car.

I absolutely love attending The Catholic University of America, for a variety of reasons. I love its location in Washington, DC. Although we are located in a major city, we have a large campus of 193 acres. It is a great place to study, learn, and socialize. For me, the size is just right. There are about 4,000 total undergraduates, which classifies this school as medium-sized. Class size was very important to me; the majority of classes here are under 40 people, which allows for individualized attention. The small class size leads to better socialization as well. I've made great connections with people I have had classes with. One experience I will always remember would be the first snow of the season my freshman year. All of my friends and I acted like small children and sled down a hill on cafeteria trays. It is a great memory!

I would say I have mixed opinions about the school. They definitely down play the religious aspect of the school when they are talking to prospective students. The location Catholic is great because it is only a few metro stops away from the heart of DC, so commuting there is never a problem. The university, however, does have unreasonably strict disciplinary policies which can put a damper on the experience from time to time

CUA is awesome and has everything you need to have a successful career later on in life. While the classes are challenging they are very interesting, exciting and usually have no more than 30 students per classroom. The City is the best part of the school. If you are a politics major like me than Washington D.C is clearly the right place to be and if you are not than you have Georgetown and Union Square to keep you busy

The Catholic University of America has a great political science department, arcitecture program, nursing program, and inherently a strong religious studies track. There are some majors that need more funding and investment such as biology and media studies. Others are just average, but offer some really strong courses. Even the media studies department offers probably one of the best courses (Media & Rhetoric) at the University despite being a rather subpar department overall. Having the real campus feel in Washington, DC is very nice if you are looking for a city school with an actual campus. Brookland is not the best of neighborhoods, but the level safety has improved and campus is very safe. As a result of a high acceptance rate, there are some student who are not academically inclined and prefer nothing more than partying, but these people are avoidable. Overall, you can mingle your way into the right social and academic scene best suited for you. You will not find much school pride here in terms of going to sporting events, but there are attempts to improve this. The greatest issue on campus at the moment is a recent transition from co-ed residence halls by floor to single-sex residence halls. This change makes me most angry and makes attending school here a lot more difficult, because the University has a tendency to ignore student feedback. Frankly, CUA is not the most prestigious institution, but the education is competitive and the opportunities in DC are plentiful. If you can cover the $53,000 per year cost and have no options in other big cities, I think you will find CUA to be a great option.

Catholic University is located in NE DC. This a lower income area unlike other DC schools like GW and Georgetown. The campus is primarily concealed, but the freshman dorms are located off the main campus. A metro stop is located right near campus, but the walk way is known to be a dangerous area where various students have been mugged. DC is a great city, but Brookland is not.