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About Cato University

Cato University is the Cato Institute’s premier educational event of the year. Those familiar with Cato University may notice a change this year. Rather than offering a single week long program in the summer, a compact 3‐​day Cato University will now be offered several times during the year, each with a different focus. This will enable the programs to zero‐​in and offer comprehensive analyses of critical, multi‐​faceted issues at the center of individual liberty.

While the topics for each Cato University program will vary, the goal remains as always: to bring together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe, who share a commitment to liberty and learning; and to provide participants an opportunity to form new and enduring friendships and perspectives in a one‐​of‐​a‐​kind environment.

Recent Cato University Conferences

2018 Cato University

History is indispensable to understanding and defending liberty under our constitutionally limited, representative government. And at the core of that history are the philosophical beliefs and values on which the American republic was founded. Cato University’s College of History and Philosophy brings these two powerful subjects together to explore the foundations of liberty and justice, of wealth and poverty, of individual rights and the rule of law.

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2018 Cato University

Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision‐​making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.

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  • If you are interested in attending more than one Cato University within the year, please contact events@​cato.​org.
  • If you would like to apply to the Bastiat Scholarship Program – click here.


If you would like to contribute to the Bastiat Scholarship Program to support student attendance at Cato University — click here.
NOTE: Please indicate that you would like your donation directed to the Cato University scholarship program in the Comments box at the end of the form.

And — are you interested in another type of learning experience — own your own, at your own pace? We are delighted to now have the Cato University Home Study Course available. The 12 modules of this program are available as downloads or listened to online.