American University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Washington, District of Columbia. It enrolls 7,266 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
63/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes83
Value14
Affordability5
Selectivity81
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
American University admits 62% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
62%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1280 – 1460
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
29 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether American University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
11.3 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $41,943 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$58,771
Room & Board (on-campus)
$17,982
Room & Board (off-campus)
$19,336
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,618
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,266
Total Cost of Attendance
$76,058
Application fee: $75 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$23,233
$30,001 – $48,000
$20,444
$48,001 – $75,000
$26,035
$75,001 – $110,000
$30,063
Over $110,000
$53,673
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$10,75025%percentile
$22,750Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$33,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,500
↓ $3,250
No Pell $19,500
↓ $3,250
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $3,250
Independent students $16,332
↓ $6,418
Female students $19,500
↓ $3,250
Male students $19,500
↓ $3,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($22,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
78% of students who start here finish within six years, and 87% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
78%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
87%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $77,370 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$77,370
Earning > $25K
88%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$64,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$74,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$60,500
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$69,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$69,000
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,600, about 13% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
7.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 89% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 7,266 students, a large student community.
Total Enrolled
7,266
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
16%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 56.0%4,068
Hispanic 14.0%1,014
Black 8.2%597
Asian 7.4%539
Other 6.0%434
International 5.3%382
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at American University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
American University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
124 distinct programs across
24 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.5B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$119,380
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
846 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
196
23%
$177,971
Associate Professors
176
21%
$122,745
Assistant Professors
117
14%
$114,852
Instructors
357
42%
$87,038
Pros & Cons of American University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where American University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, American University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about American University
The questions families ask most about American University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is American University hard to get into?
Admissions at American University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 62%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at American University?
62% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for American University?
Aim for 1460 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1280 and 1460 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for American University?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 29 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does American University cost?
Budget around $41,943 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is American University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $77,370 a year against a net price of $41,943, about 1.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is American University known for?
Mostly International Relations, International Relations, Law. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do American University graduates earn?
About $77,370 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is American University accredited?
Yes. American University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend American University?
7,266 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at American University?
78% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is American University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is American University located?
American University is located in Washington, District of Columbia.
What programs does American University offer?
124 different programs, most commonly International Relations, International Relations, Law. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at American University?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in District of Columbia
Other colleges in District of Columbia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
American Sign Language
Ethnic Studies
Communication Disorders Sciences and
Related Guides
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
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Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
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For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
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Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
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