American University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · offers Graduate degrees

Large city

62%Acceptance rate

$41,943Average net price / year

75%Graduation rate

$77,370Median earnings 10 yrs after entry

$22,750Median debt at graduation

7,266Undergraduates

Cost

In-state tuition & fees: $58,771
Total cost of attendance: $76,058
Room & board: $17,982
Books & supplies: $1,000
Average net price: $41,943

Net price by family income

$0–30k: $23,233
$30–48k: $20,444
$48–75k: $26,035
$75–110k: $30,063
$110k+: $53,673

Official net price calculator

Admissions

Acceptance rate: 62.0%
Average SAT: 1381
SAT reading (25–75%): 660–740
SAT math (25–75%): 620–720
ACT composite (25–75%): 29–32

Outcomes

Graduation rate: 75%
First-year retention: 88%
Median earnings (6 yrs): $61,328
Median earnings (10 yrs): $77,370
Median debt (graduates): $22,750
3-year loan default rate: 0.0%
Students with Pell grants: 14%
Students with federal loans: 38%

Programs: what graduates earn

62 of 163 programs have published earnings or debt data. Earnings are median salaries of graduates one year after completing the program (or the latest available year).

Undergraduate certificate

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	31	$52,493	$24,250
Political Science and Government	56	$51,222	$23,250
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	63	$45,207	$22,673

Bachelor's degree

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Finance and Financial Management Services	65	$83,505	$22,625
Business Administration, Management and Operations	264	$58,299	$24,500
Economics	71	$58,151	$22,191
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	18	$55,625	$27,000
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	107	$50,026	$26,442
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	125	$49,486	$23,000
Political Science and Government	216	$48,034	$23,250
International Relations and National Security Studies	387	$47,551	$23,250
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	26	$46,780	$26,125
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	7	$46,206	$25,000
Non-Professional Legal Studies	31	$45,790	$24,375
Journalism	49	$44,387	$24,976
History	29	$43,809	$26,000
Area Studies	26	$43,671	$25,000
Public Health	65	$42,194	$23,250
Sociology	21	$40,119	—
Criminal Justice and Corrections	104	$37,147	$23,250
Communication and Media Studies	27	$36,980	$22,611
Fine and Studio Arts	14	$35,115	$23,250
Biology, General	25	$33,917	$19,701
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	45	$26,767	$22,000
Psychology, General	79	$25,773	$23,500
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	16	$23,979	$24,989
Literature	16	$23,164	$26,105
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians	11	$19,337	$19,085
Anthropology	11	$53,036	—
Computer Science	29	$117,293	—
Accounting and Related Services	13	$76,448	—

Master's degree

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Business Administration, Management and Operations	81	$99,051	$89,433
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	66	$94,453	$51,250
Economics	50	$86,903	$46,108
Accounting and Related Services	21	$78,613	—
Public Administration	220	$78,068	$55,000
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	50	$73,531	$26,500
Educational Administration and Supervision	111	$71,635	$43,885
Homeland Security	104	$70,939	$41,000
International Relations and National Security Studies	486	$69,872	$61,500
Communication and Media Studies	78	$68,299	$51,250
Public Policy Analysis	105	$67,929	$54,986
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies	124	$65,919	$65,926
International and Comparative Education	8	$65,008	$39,375
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	42	$63,886	$51,250
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	33	$63,727	$53,268
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution	45	$63,685	$62,122
Public Health	12	$63,620	—
Criminal Justice and Corrections	25	$62,067	—
Political Science and Government	27	$60,976	—
Philosophy	36	$58,030	$42,373
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	29	$58,019	$49,264
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	26	$51,449	$66,504
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	6	$51,426	$59,904
Journalism	28	$49,973	$55,989
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services	42	$48,321	$51,250
History	27	$47,616	$41,000
Fine and Studio Arts	25	$35,278	$51,250
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians	16	$74,573	—
Taxation	7	$111,993	—
Psychology, General	17	$73,628	—

First professional degree

Program	Graduates	Earnings	Median debt
Law	317	$73,725	$161,696

Students

Undergraduates: 7,266
Graduate students: 5,733
Part-time: 3%
Women / men: 62% / 38%
White: 56%
Hispanic: 14%
Black: 8%
Asian: 7%
International: 5%

Faculty & school

Student–faculty ratio: 10:1
Avg faculty salary: $123,498 / year
Full-time faculty: 59%
Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Website: www.american.edu
Also known as: AU

Frequently asked questions

What is the acceptance rate at American University?

62.0% of applicants were admitted, and admitted students averaged 1381 on the SAT.

How much does American University cost?

The average net price after grants is $41,943 per year; in-state tuition and fees are $58,771 and the full cost of attendance is $76,058.

How much do American University graduates earn?

Students who enrolled earn a median of $77,370 ten years later. See the program table above for salaries by major.

What is the graduation rate?

75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within 150% of normal time.

Other colleges in Washington

College	Net price	Acceptance	Graduation	Earnings
George Washington University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 11,182 students	$36,586	47%	84%	$90,873
Howard University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 10,108 students	$50,539	41%	70%	$63,066
Strayer University-Global Region Washington, DC · Private for-profit · 9,376 students	$17,833	—	14%	$40,092
Georgetown University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 7,569 students	$40,815	13%	95%	$103,494
University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC · Public · 3,351 students	$10,648	—	33%	$44,236
The Catholic University of America Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 3,154 students	$29,561	83%	79%	$73,250
Trinity Washington University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 1,414 students	$9,302	100%	49%	$53,804
Gallaudet University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 812 students	$15,845	58%	47%	$43,101
University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus Washington, DC · Private for-profit · 809 students	—	—	33%	$34,961
Bennett Career Institute Washington, DC · Private for-profit · 176 students	$11,824	—	51%	$22,568

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.