The Catholic University of America in Washington is one of just seven Catholic universities in the United States, and the only university in the Newman Guide to Colleges, to join the ranks of the nation’s top-tier research institutions.
The new designation as an “R1” research institution means Catholic U. is in the top 5 percent of universities nationwide for research. Just 187 of nearly 4,000 universities received this designation from the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education in a February 2025 announcement.
“Since our founding, we have seen the pursuit of truth through research as a sacred duty. Today, this approach continues to drive our private and public partnerships, and our groundbreaking work in the sciences, the social sciences, the arts and humanities, law, philosophy, and theology,” said Catholic U. President Peter Kilpatrick.
An R1 university must spend at least $50 million on research and development and grant at least 70 research doctorates on average, in a single year. Catholic U., with an enrollment above 5,000 students, not only exceeded that research amount but also granted 94 research doctorates.
Current research includes diverse initiatives such as suicide prevention, a partnership with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, vaccine delivery, robotic assistance technology for stroke survivors, and containment of nuclear waste.
Catholic U. is the first Catholic research university in the nation — and the second overall research university, after Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
“There’s a false narrative out there that you can’t be a research university and be faithfully Catholic,” said Aaron Dominguez, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “That’s simply not true and we’re proving it.”
“Our commitment to academic excellence and our Catholic identity set us apart in the research landscape,” said H. Joseph Yost, the university’s senior vice provost of research. “We are proud to be one of a small number of Catholic institutions to have achieved R1 status.”
The Washington metro area has grown to become a major research hub. With the addition of Catholic U., plus Howard and American universities this year, Washington now has five R1 universities. Two more in the suburbs are George Mason University in Fairfax and University of Maryland College Park.
R2 institutions spend at least $5 million on R&D and award at least 20 research doctorates. Research Colleges and Universities spend at least $2.5 million on R&D.
Marymount University in Arlington has been designated a Research University based on 2023 annual research expenditures of $2.6 million and the awarding of 63 research doctorates. This marks a significant step toward the university achieving R2 status, a longtime strategic goal.
Catholic U. will hold its annual University Research Day, which showcases innovative student and faculty research, April 2.
