Catholic higher education

Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical universities.

For Catholic primary and secondary education, see Catholic school.
Main building of the Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia
Catholic University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
Chapel of the faculty of medicine of Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon

By definition, Catholic canon law states that "A Catholic school is understood to be one which is under control of the competent ecclesiastical authority or of a public ecclesiastical juridical person, or one which in a written document is acknowledged as Catholic by the ecclesiastical authority" (Can. 803). Although some schools are deemed "Catholic" because of their identity and a great number of students enrolled are Catholics, it is also stipulated in canon law that "no school, even if it is in fact Catholic, may bear the title 'Catholic school' except by the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority" (Can. 803 §3).

The Dominican Order was "the first order instituted by the Church with an academic mission",[1] founding studia conventualia in every convent of the order, and studia generalia at the early European universities such as the University of Bologna and the University of Paris. In Europe, most universities with medieval history were founded as Catholic. Many of them were rescinded to government authourities in the Modern era. Some, however, remained Catholic, while new ones were established alongside the public ones. The Catholic Church is still the largest non-governmental provider of higher education in the world. Many of them are still internationally competitive. According to the census of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, the total number of Catholic universities and higher education institutions around the world is 1,358. On the other hand, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops counts it at 1,861. The Catholic religious order with the highest number of universities around the world today is the Society of Jesus with 114.[2]

Like other private schools, Catholic universities and colleges are generally nondenominational, in that they accept anyone regardless of religious affiliation, nationality, ethnicity, or civil status, provided the admission or enrollment requirements and legal documents are submitted, and rules and regulations are obeyed for a fruitful life on campus. However, non-Catholics, whether Christian or not, may or may not participate in otherwise required campus activities, particularly those of a religious nature.

Partial list of universities

Albania

Angola

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bangladesh

Belgium

Benin

Bolivia

Brazil

Burkina Faso

Cambodia
  • Saint Paul Institute, Tram Kak

Cameroon

Canada

Public universities that continue to claim Catholic affiliation

Catholic institutions affiliated or federated to public universities

Private Catholic universities

Chile

Colombia

Congo, Democratic Republic of

Costa Rica
  • Universidad Católica de Costa Rica, San José; f.1993
  • Universidad de La Salle, San José; f.1994
  • Universidad Juan Pablo II, San José

Croatia

Cuba

Czech Republic

Dominican Republic

East Timor

Ecuador

El Salvador

Ethiopia
  • Ethiopian Catholic University of St. Thomas Aquinas (ECUSTA), Addis Ababa

France

Germany

Ghana

Guatemala

Haiti

Honduras

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

See also Vatican

Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Korea

Lebanon

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macau

Madagascar

Malawi

Malta

Mexico

Mozambique
  • Catholic University of Mozambique (Universidade Católica de Moçambique), Beira
  • Holy Family Pedagogical University, Maxixe
  • St. Thomas University of Mozambique, Maputo

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Pakistan

Palestine

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines
Main article: List of Catholic universities and colleges in the Philippines

There are more than 40 universities — besides many colleges — in the Philippine Catholic Church. Among these universities are:

Poland

In Poland also work faculties of theology in some public universities.

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Romania

Rwanda
  • Catholic University of Rwanda, Butare
  • Université Catholique de Kabgayi, Gitamara

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Sudan

Spain

Sri Lanka
  • Aquinas University College, Colombo

Sudan

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Tanzania

Thailand

Togo

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States
Main articles: History of Catholic education in the United States and List of Roman Catholic universities and colleges in the United States

There are 244 Catholic higher education degree-granting institutions in the United States.[3] Among the most well known are:

Uruguay

Vatican

Venezuela

Vietnam

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Academic rankings

Some of the universities, including Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, are ranked in the top list of universities according to the Times Higher Education journal.[4] There is so far no list of academic rankings of Catholic universities. In the United States, U.S. News & World Report magazine provides the Best Colleges ranking; University of Notre Dame, Georgetown University, and Boston College have been scored as top Catholic national universities.

See also

References
  1. Pirerre Mandonnet, "Order of Preachers" Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913; http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_%281913%29/Order_of_Preachers Accessed 12-31-12
  2. Sophia University
  3. "Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities". Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  4. "The University Rankings 2010", The World University Rankings
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