Pontifical universities are "academic institutes established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law) and at least one other faculty. These academic institutes deal specifically with the Christian revelation and related disciplines, and the Church’s mission of spreading the Gospel, as proclaimed in the Apostolic Constitution Sapientia christiana". Many of them, on the other hand, have most of their students studying secular topics.
Pontifical universities follow a European system of degrees in the sacred faculties, granting the baccalaureate, the licentiate, and the doctorate. These ecclesiastical degrees are prerequisites to certain offices in the Roman Catholic Church, especially considering that bishop candidates are selected mainly from priests who are doctors of sacred theology (S.T.D.) or canon law (J.C.D.) and that ecclesiastical judges and canon lawyers must have at least the Licentiate of Canon Law (J.C.L.).
Quality and ranking
Compared to secular or Catholic universities, which are academic institutions for the study and teaching of a broad range of disciplines, ecclesiastical or Pontifical universities are "usually composed of three principal ecclesiastical faculties, theology, philosophy, and canon law, and at least one other faculty. A Pontifical university specifically addresses Christian revelation and disciplines correlative to the evangelical mission of the Church as set out in the apostolic constitution Sapientia christiana".
Like other Catholic institutions, pontifical colleges and universities are generally nondenominational, in that they accept anyone regardless of religion or denominational affiliation, race or ethnicity, nationality, or civil status, provided the admission or enrollment requirements and legal documents are submitted, and rules & regulations are obeyed for a fruitful life on campus. However, some faculties or degrees and disciplines may be for Catholics only, and non-Catholics, whether Christian or not, may be exempted from participating in otherwise required campus activities, particularly those of a religious nature.
Current international quality ranking services do not have rankings for pontifical universities that are specific to their curricula.
Since 19 September 2003 the Holy See has taken part in the Bologna Process, a series of meetings and agreements between European states designed to foster comparable quality standards in higher education, and in the "Bologna Follow-up Group". The Holy See’s Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties (AVEPRO) was established on 19 September 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI "to promote and develop a culture of quality within the academic institutions that depend directly on the Holy See and ensure they possess internationally valid quality criteria."
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Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina), Buenos Aires
International Theological Institute; for studies of marriage and family, near Vienna
Pontifical Athenaeum, Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Heiligenkreuz
Theological Faculty, Catholic-Theological Private University Linz, Linz
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven
Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas, Campinas
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, São Paulo
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre
Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto; postdoctoral research
Regis College, Toronto
Saint Paul University, Ottawa
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago
Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, Valparaiso
Pontifical Bolivarian University, Medellin
Pontifical Xavierian University, Bogota
Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Santiago de Los Caballeros
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito
Catholic University of Lyon, Lyon
Catholic University of Toulouse, Toulouse
Catholic University of the West, Angers
Institut Catholique de Paris, Paris
Université Catholique de Lille, Lille
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt & Ingolstadt
Munich University of Philosophy, Munich
Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City
Wedabhakti Pontifical Faculty of Theology, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta
Ireland
St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Maynooth; Pontifical University charter 1896
Marianum Theological Faculty, Rome
Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm (Sant'Anselmo), Rome
Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Rome
Pontifical Gregorian University (Gregorianum), Rome
Pontifical Lateran University, Rome
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome
Pontifical University of St. Anthony, Rome
Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure (Seraphicum), Rome
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome
Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome
Salesian Pontifical University, Rome
Université Catholique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Abidjan
Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
Saint Joseph University, Beirut
Pontifical University of Mexico, Mexico City
Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, Panama City
Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Asuncion
Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru), Lima
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila
Poland
Pontifical University of John Paul II, Kraków
Catholic University of Portugal, Lisbon
Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid
Pontifical University of Salamanca, Salamanca
University of Deusto, Bilbao
University of Navarra, Pamplona
Switzerland
Facoltà di Teologia di Lugano, Lugano
Boston College School of Theology, Boston, MA
The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, Berkeley, CA
John Paul II Institute, Washington, DC
Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, OH
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Ponce, PR
Pontifical Faculty at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary), Mundelein, IL
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception (PFIC), Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC
St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, MD
Heythrop College, University of London; Bellarmine Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Universidad Católica del Uruguay Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga, Montevideo
Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany, until the German Reformation
Lund Studium Generale, Lund, Sweden, until the Danish Reformation
Royal and Pontifical University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina, until 1856, during the presidency of Justo José de Urquiza
Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico, until the Mexican War of Independence
Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, Havana, Cuba, until 1961, after the Cuban Revolution
Universidad de San Ignacio, Manila, Philippines, until 1768, after the Expulsion of the Jesuits
Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (then in Haiti), until 1823, during the Unification of Hispaniola
University of Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen, Scotland, until the Scottish Reformation
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, until the English Reformation
University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, until the French Revolutionary Wars
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, until the Danish Reformation
University of Erfurt, until the German Reformation
University of Freiburg, until the Suppression of the Society of Jesus
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, until the Scottish Reformation
University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany, until the German Reformation
University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany, until the German Reformation
University of Mainz, until the French Revolutionary Wars
University of Oxford, Oxford, England, until the English Reformation
University of Paris, Paris, France, until the French Revolution
University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany, until the German Reformation
University of Saint Andrews, Saint Andrews, Scotland, until the Scottish Reformation
University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru, until the Peruvian War of Independence
University of Tübingen, until the German Reformation
University of Wittenberg, until the German Reformation
University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, until the Napoleonic Wars
Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, until the Swedish Reformation
