Off-Campus Housing Near The Catholic University of America
$1,740+/unit
Fees may applyEuclid CoLiving
$1,320+/unit
Fees may applyFlats on the Hill (Furnished Suites)
$1,763+/unit
Fees may applyInternational Student House
$1,150+/person
Fees may applyPerry Co-Living
$1,359+/unit
Fees may applyThe Lanes at Union Market
About Off-Campus Housing Near The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, located in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC, with about 5,400 students. It is the only US university founded by the Catholic bishops, and it offers undergraduate, graduate and professional programs including architecture, engineering, nursing, canon law and theology. The campus is unusually green for a city university, occupying a large tract beside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and the Brookland-CUA Metro station on the Red Line sits at its edge. Catholic University maintains a comparatively long residency requirement, covering the first six semesters of enrollment, with IPEDS reporting dorm capacity near 2,000. Students who move off campus find Brookland and the neighborhoods nearby more affordable than Northwest DC. Find My Place currently lists 262 rentals in Washington, with monthly rents from about $1,532 to $2,905 and a median near $2,000.
The Catholic University of America Housing Requirements
Six-Semester Residency Requirement
The Catholic University of America requires all full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students to live in on-campus housing for their first six semesters of enrollment, counting fall and spring terms only. In practice this covers the freshman, sophomore and junior years.
Exemptions and Considerations
The university will consider students who reside with a parent or legal guardian within 20 miles of campus, students aged 23 or older, students completing a university-sponsored study abroad program during a fall or spring semester, and transfer students who completed a residency requirement at a previous institution. Students subject to the requirement who do not meet one of those considerations may request an exemption from the Office of Housing Services, documenting their reasons by the published deadline.
Off-Campus Eligibility
Students past the six-semester window, along with graduate and professional students, rent privately. Brookland and adjacent Northeast neighborhoods offer rowhouses and apartments at rents generally below comparable Northwest DC options, with the Red Line providing a direct commute.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with The Catholic University of America before signing a lease.
When to Start Looking for Housing Near The Catholic University of America
Early Searchers
Because the requirement runs three years, most Catholic University students entering the rental market are seniors or graduate students. For an August start, begin looking in April or May. Brookland is a smaller rental market than the DC core, so early searching improves selection meaningfully.
Peak Demand Window
June through August is the busiest stretch in DC, driven by students across the city plus the summer intern influx. Rowhouses near the Brookland-CUA Metro suited to groups lease fastest. Groups with roommates settled and a lead tenant ready to sign do best.
Last-Minute Options
Students searching in August should widen along the Red Line toward Takoma or Fort Totten, or eastward into Edgewood, where rents ease and the commute stays short. Mid-lease roommate replacements are common in DC rowhouse shares and avoid the cost of starting a new lease.
Neighborhoods Near The Catholic University of America
Brookland
The campus neighborhood, walkable to class and the Red Line, with rowhouses, small apartment buildings and a growing commercial strip along 12th Street.
Edgewood
Immediately west of campus, largely residential with rowhouse rentals at somewhat lower rents than Brookland proper.
Takoma and Fort Totten
North along the Red Line, offering more attainable rents with a direct ten-minute train ride to Brookland-CUA.
Eckington and NoMa
South toward the city center, with newer apartment buildings and strong transit for students who want a more urban setting.
Frequently Asked Questions: Off-Campus Housing Near The Catholic University of America
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Yes, for six semesters. All full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates must live in on-campus housing for their first six semesters, counting fall and spring only, which covers the freshman, sophomore and junior years.
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