ACCEPTANCE RATE
47.4%
More selective than 19% of listed universities.
SelectiveAccessible
Private University
American University
American University in Washington, District of Columbia offers a private nonprofit four-year education with United Methodist affiliation. The campus welcomes students to a community where over half of applicants are admitted and graduation rates stand at 78 percent.
47.4%ACCEPTANCE
$40,189AVG NET PRICE
78%GRAD RATE
13KSTUDENTS
University data profileIPEDS 2023
No photo
Washington, DCCity: Large
THE SIGNATURE
American University Report Card
Explore university facts, programs, and campus life at a glance.
American University is a private nonprofit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. As a four-year school affiliated with the United Methodist tradition, it provides an undergraduate experience within a major metropolitan area.
The university maintains a total student body of 13,019 individuals pursuing degrees across sixty-four distinct undergraduate majors. Academic performance is reflected in a six-year graduation rate of seventy-eight percent and a first-year retention rate of eighty-six percent.
AT A GLANCE
TypePrivateFour or more years
Founded—
SettingCity: Large
Calendarsemester
Religious affiliationUnited Methodist
Athletics—
GETTING IN
Admissions
Applicants to American University face a selection process where approximately forty-seven point four percent are offered enrollment out of seventeen thousand seven hundred eighty-six total applicants. Admitted students typically demonstrate strong quantitative preparation, with SAT math scores clustering around a midpoint of six hundred seventy for the entering class.
Source: IPEDS 2023
SAT RANGE (MID 50%)
1,300–1,450
400National benchmark missing1600
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Not reportedUndergraduate application fee $75.
WHAT IT COSTS
Cost & Financial Aid
Sticker price tells you little — net price after aid is what most families actually pay.
Source: IPEDS 2023
IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
$56,543/yr
Out-of-state: $56,543/yr.
Net price by income band
$0–$30,000
$30,001–$48,000
$48,001–$75,000
$75,001–$110,000
$110,001+
AVERAGE NET PRICE AFTER AID
$40,189/yr
▲ 40% since 2020-2148% receive aid
Average aid package $32,205.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Academics
The university offers sixty-four undergraduate majors designed to prepare students for various career paths and graduate studies. With a six-year graduation rate of seventy-eight percent, the institution supports student success through its academic programs and retention efforts.
Source: IPEDS 2023
Student–faculty ratio
10:1
57.5% of classes have fewer than 20 students.
6-year graduation rate
78%
▼ 3 pts since 2016
First-year retention
86%
Compared with the 89% public-university median.
Undergrad majors
64
Undergraduate majors and programs
MOST POPULAR FIELDS OF STUDY
International Relations and Affairs.21.1%
Business Administration and Management, General.13%
Political Science and Government, General.9.9%
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.6.6%
Public Relations/Image Management.5.6%
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies.4.8%
CAMPUS LIFE
Campus & Housing
Campus housing shows how many students live on-campus — which means nearby housing can be essential to the college experience.
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On-campus beds
4,246
—
Students needing off-campus housing
—
—
Setting
City: Large
IN CONTEXT
American University vs. peer institutions
How American University compares with officially identified or editorially reviewed peer institutions.
American University
$40,189
The Catholic University of America
$35,008
AFTER GRADUATION
Student outcomes
What graduates earn and how reliably they land work — the bottom-line return on the degree.
Source: College Scorecard 2025
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$77,370
Compared with earnings for graduates of similar universities.
Working after 10 yrs
74.1%
Share of former students working and not enrolled, ten years after entry.
Earning more than a high-school graduate
88%
88% of students out-earn the typical high-school graduate — a core measure of mobility.
LIVE HERE
Apartments near American University
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American University students who start their housing search early get first pick of the apartments closest to campus — and the best prices.
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—Average monthly rent
—Closest walk to campus
Data Sources: U.S. Department of Education IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics. University Apartments is not affiliated with American University.