Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities

The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) is a voluntary membership organization for Catholic institutions of higher education. Its members are represented primarily by the president or rector of each participating institution, who serves as the institution's voting representative. The association provides a collective forum through which Catholic colleges and universities can exchange ideas, coordinate around shared educational and institutional concerns, and represent the distinctive mission of Catholic higher education. The organization traces its origins to an initiative by Thomas Conaty, then rector of The Catholic University of America. In 1898, Conaty contacted nearly one hundred Catholic colleges to explore cooperation among Catholic higher-education institutions. The correspondence led to a gathering in Chicago in April 1899, attended by fifty-three delegates from Catholic colleges across the United States. That meeting established the association and created an institutional network intended to strengthen Catholic higher education nationally. ACCU is not a university system and does not operate member campuses as a parent company would. Instead, it functions as a voluntary association whose membership is composed of independent Catholic colleges and universities. Its work therefore centers on convening institutional leaders, supporting communication among members, articulating common interests, and maintaining relationships with other Catholic education and church organizations. The association collaborates with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Catholic Educational Association. The association's membership has expanded beyond its original national base. Reference material reports that, in 2026, ACCU listed 178 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States and 24 institutions in other countries. The same material indicates that the association included more than 90 percent of accredited Catholic institutions of higher learning in the United States. These figures position ACCU as a broad representative network rather than a small specialist consortium. ACCU's institutional identity is tied to the Catholic intellectual and educational tradition. Its constituency includes universities and colleges with varied sizes, governance structures, academic profiles, and relationships to religious orders or dioceses, but the members share a Catholic higher-education mission. The association's historical leadership has included university presidents and rectors from institutions such as The Catholic University of America, Fordham University, Saint Louis University, Bellarmine University, Boston College, Georgetown University, and DePaul University. In 2026, presidents of member universities met with Pope Leo XIV in Rome, an event that reflected the association's role as a channel connecting Catholic higher-education leaders with the wider Catholic Church. ACCU's continuing relevance rests on its ability to bring institutional leaders together while preserving the autonomy and distinctive character of its member colleges and universities.

The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities emerged from efforts to create a common forum for Catholic higher-education institutions in the United States. In 1898, Thomas Conaty, rector of The Catholic University of America, wrote to nearly one hundred Catholic colleges to discuss the condition and future of Catholic higher education. The correspondence demonstrated that Catholic colleges across the country shared concerns and interests that could benefit from organized cooperation. The initiative culminated in a meeting held in Chicago in April 1899. Fifty-three delegates from Catholic colleges attended, and the gathering resulted in the founding of the association. From the beginning, the organization was structured as a voluntary association rather than as a centralized university system. The participating institutions retained their own governance and academic identities, while gaining a mechanism for communication and collective representation. The association's leadership model reflects that institutional structure. The president or rector of each participating institution serves as the voting representative, giving member institutions a direct voice in the organization's affairs. Over time, presidents and rectors from prominent Catholic universities have served as association leaders, including Thomas James Conaty of The Catholic University of America, Aloysius J. Hogan of Fordham University, Paul C. Reinert of Saint Louis University, Alfred F. Horrigan of Bellarmine University, Michael P. Walsh of Boston College, Monika Hellwig of Georgetown University, and Dennis H. Holtschneider of DePaul University. Across its history, ACCU has served as a network through which Catholic institutions can discuss common educational, administrative, and mission-related questions. Its work complements rather than replaces the activities of individual universities. The association also maintains relationships with wider Catholic education and church bodies, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Catholic Educational Association. The association's membership has grown from the group of American Catholic colleges represented at its founding meeting to a network with an international dimension. Reference material reports that in 2026 the association listed 178 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States and 24 institutions in other countries. It also reports that more than 90 percent of accredited Catholic institutions of higher learning in the United States belonged to the association. These figures indicate a substantial level of representation within the Catholic higher-education sector. A 2026 meeting between presidents of member universities and Pope Leo XIV in Rome illustrated the association's continuing connection to Catholic ecclesial leadership. The event also reflected ACCU's role as a convening institution for university presidents and rectors. Despite its broad membership, ACCU remains a membership and representative organization rather than an operator of campuses, a degree-awarding institution, or a commercial education company.

• 2026

  Membership and international representation reported

  [1]Association of Catholic Colleges and Universitiesen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports 178 U.S. Catholic higher-education institutions and 24 institutions in other countries in the association's membership.

• 2026

  Member university presidents meet Pope Leo XIV

  [1]Association of Catholic Colleges and Universitiesen.wikipedia.org

  Presidents of member universities met with Pope Leo XIV in Rome.

• 2024

  End of Dennis H. Holtschneider's listed presidency

  [1]Association of Catholic Colleges and Universitiesen.wikipedia.org

  Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., is listed as serving as president through 2024.

• 1899

  Association founded at Chicago meeting

  [1]Association of Catholic Colleges and Universitiesen.wikipedia.org

  Fifty-three delegates from Catholic colleges met in Chicago in April and established the association.

• 1898

  Conaty initiates a discussion on Catholic higher education

  [1]Association of Catholic Colleges and Universitiesen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Conaty, rector of The Catholic University of America, contacted nearly one hundred Catholic colleges to explore cooperation and shared concerns in Catholic higher education.

A representative and convening body for Catholic colleges and universities, emphasizing shared Catholic educational identity, institutional collaboration, and leadership exchange while leaving member institutions independently governed.

• Membership service · 1899

  Institutional membership

  ACCU's core offering is membership for Catholic colleges and universities. Membership gives institutions a formal place in a national and international network and provides a structure through which their presidents or rectors can participate in association governance and collective discussion.

• Executive networking

  Leadership convenings

  The association convenes presidents, rectors, and institutional delegates from Catholic higher-education institutions. These meetings support peer exchange, discussion of shared mission and institutional issues, and relationships among leaders of otherwise independent colleges and universities.

• Sector representation

  Representation and collaboration

  ACCU provides a collective channel for Catholic higher education and collaborates with organizations such as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Catholic Educational Association. Its representative function helps connect member institutions with broader Catholic education and church networks.

1. 1Association of Catholic Colleges and Universitiesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities official websiteaccunet.org