Paavillinen yliopisto on katolinen yliopisto , jonka Pyha istuin on perustanut ja joka on sen valittomassa valvonnassa. Paavillinen yliopisto koostuu kolmesta kirkollisesta tiedekunnasta ( teologian , filosofian ja kanonisen oikeuden tiedekunnista ) ja vahintaan yhdesta muusta tiedekunnasta. ^[1] Nama ovat oppilaitoksia, jotka kasittelevat nimenomaan kristillisen ilmoituksen ja naihin liittyvia aloja ja kirkon evankeelista julistustehtavaa, ^selvenna kuten apostolisessa perustuslaissa Sapientia Christianassa on toivottu. ^[1] Useissa naista yliopistoissa suurin osa opiskelijoista opiskelee kuitenkin sekulaarisia tieteita.

Seuraavat yliopistot on listattu Annuario Pontificiossa paavillisina yliopistoina.

• Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires

• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven
• Universite catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve

• Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Campinas, Campinas
• Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Goias, Goiania
• Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte
• Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo
• Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana, Curitiba
• Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
• Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre

• Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago
• Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, Valparaiso

• Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, Santiago de Los Caballeros

• Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Quito

• Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid
• Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, Salamanca
• Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao
• Universidad de Navarra , Pamplona

• The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila

• Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City

• Wedabhakti Pontifical Faculty of Theology, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta

• St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Maynooth; Pontifical University charter 1896

• Pontificia Facolta Teologica "Marianum", Rooma
• Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo, Rooma
• Pontificio Ateneo Regina Apostolorum, Rooma
• Pontificia Universita Gregoriana (Gregorianum), Rooma
• Pontificia Universita Lateranense, Rooma
• Pontificia Universita della Santa Croce, Rooma
• Pontificia Universita Antonianum, Rooma
• Pontificia Facolta Teologica San Bonaventura o Seraphicum Seraphicum, Rooma
• Pontificia Universita San Tommaso d'Aquino (Angelicum), Rooma
• Pontificia Universita Urbaniana, Rooma

• Sophia-yliopisto

• Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto; postdoctoral research
• Regis College, Toronto
• Saint Paul University, Ottawa

• Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi

• Pontifical Bolivarian University, Medellin
• Pontifical Xavierian University, Bogota

• Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
• Saint Joseph University, Beirut

• Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua, Panama City

• Universidad Catolica de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion, Asuncion

• Portugalin katolinen yliopisto Lissabon, Porto, Braga ja Beira

• Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

• Pontifical University of John Paul II, Krakow

• Institut catholique de Paris (Institut Catholique d ' etudes Superieures (ICES))
• Catholic University Of Lille
• Catholic University Of Lyon
• Universite Catholique de l ' ouest, Angers
• Catholic University Of Toulouse

• Katholische Universitat Eichstatt-Ingolstadt
• Munich University of Philosophy, Munich

• Facolta di Teologia di Lugano, Lugano

• Katolinen Fu Jen -yliopisto

• Pazmany Peter katolinen yliopisto

• Universidad Catolica del Uruguay Damaso Antonio Larranaga, Montevideo

• Universidad Catolica de Tachira

• 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 , Santa Clara, CA
• John Paul II Institute , Washington, DC
• Pontifical College Josephinum , Columbus, OH
• 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
• Georgetown University

• " Was katholische Universitaten leisten " Vatikaanin Radio, 18.11.2009 ^{[ vanhentunut linkki ]}
• Annuario Pontificio 2014, Sivu 1749?1757