American University
American University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
American University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Christian Colleges in DC 2026
- #3 Best Online Communications PhD Degree Programs
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 DC's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 Best Research Universities in DC 2026
- #4 Best Grad Schools in DC
- #4 Earn a Master's Without a Bachelor's
- #4 Best Online MBAs District Of Columbia
- #4 Best Private Colleges in DC 2026
- #4 Best Colleges in DC 2026
- #8 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #8 15 Most Affordable Online Economics Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2026
- #13 Criminal Justice Research Universities
- #14 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
- #14 Best Online One Year MBAs
- #24 Education Research Universities
- #25 Communications Research Universities
- #42 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
- #45 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2026
- #46 The Best Traditional MBA Programs
About American University
In brief
American University (AU), in Washington, DC, was founded in 1893. It is especially known for its programs in political science and government, international relations, and business. By our measure of academic influence, it ranks #96 in the United States and #277 in the world. It admitted 62.0% of applicants for fall 2024; admitted students had a median SAT score of 1370 and a median ACT score of 30.
It offers several online graduate degree programs but no online undergraduate degrees.
Where AU’s influence is strongest
AU’s influence is led by political science, where it ranks in the US top 25. Its strongest broad fields, by US rank in our data, are:
- Political science: #22 in the US (#65 in the world)
- Criminal justice: #38
- Law: #40
- Economics: #54
- Education: #61
Its highest-ranked specialties in our data are:
- #6 in the US: public administration
- #8: feminist economics
- #10: environmental science
- #12: international affairs
By comparison, AU sits further back in biology (#161) and chemistry (#171).
How we measure influence: these ranks come from the citations and recognition earned by a school’s faculty and alumni in each discipline, not from surveys or admissions statistics. See our methodology.
Notable people
The Nobel laureate chemist Robert S. Mulliken did wartime research at AU in 1917–18. AU-connected figures also include the security expert Bruce Schneier, the novelist Ann Beattie, the filmmakers Barry Levinson and Nancy Meyers, the actor Goldie Hawn, the suffragist Alice Paul, the civil rights leader Julian Bond, Judge Judith Sheindlin, and Senator Robert Byrd. Our full lists of AU’s most influential alumni and faculty appear below.
Frequently asked questions
Is AU hard to get into? Moderately. It admitted 62.0% of applicants for fall 2024; the middle half of admitted students scored 660–740 on the SAT reading section and 620–720 on math.
What does AU cost after financial aid? Tuition is $62,242 for 2025–26. The average net price for aided students with family incomes of $48,000–$75,000 was $27,150 in 2024–25; it ranged from about $19,487 for incomes of $30,000–$48,000 to $53,571 for incomes above $110,000.
How do AU graduates do? 74.8% of students who started in 2019 graduated within six years, and 88% of first-year students return for a second year. Ten years after starting college, former students had median earnings of $85,458.
What is AU best known for academically? By our influence data: political science, criminal justice, and law, plus public administration, where it ranks in the US top 10.
According to Wikipedia, The American University is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893 at the urging of Methodist bishop John Fletcher Hurst, who sought to create an institution that would promote public service, internationalism, and pragmatic idealism. AU broke ground in 1902, opened as a graduate education institution in 1914, and admitted its first undergraduates in 1925. Although affiliated with the United Methodist Church, religious affiliation is not a criterion for admission.
American University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,786 | 62% | 88% | 75% | 1370 | 30 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does American University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $62,242 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $28,397 |
| 30K - 48K | $19,487 |
| 48K - 75K | $27,150 |
| 75K - 110K | $31,984 |
| 110K+ | $53,571 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do American University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former American University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $85,458 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
American University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 15,188 | 8,861 | 6,327 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is American University?
American University is located at 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016-8001.
How Safe is American University?
American University reported 0.8 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most large residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, American University has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 0.04%. Washington has a violent crime rate of 0.94% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.63%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is American University Known For?
American University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Law
- Economics
- Education
- Business
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Communications
- History
- Computer Science
- Religious Studies
- Mathematics
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Medical
American University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much American University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
American University ranks #22 in the U.S. and #65 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesAmerican University ranks #38 in the U.S. and #45 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesAmerican University ranks #40 in the U.S. and #124 worldwide for influence in Law.
American University ranks #54 in the U.S. and #207 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesAmerican University ranks #61 in the U.S. and #198 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesAmerican University ranks #62 in the U.S. and #152 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesAmerican University ranks #73 in the U.S. and #213 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesAmerican University ranks #77 in the U.S. and #202 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesAmerican University ranks #79 in the U.S. and #255 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesAmerican University ranks #99 in the U.S. and #260 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesAmerican University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #374 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesAmerican University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #426 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesAmerican University ranks #115 in the U.S. and #437 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesAmerican University ranks #122 in the U.S. and #344 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesAmerican University ranks #131 in the U.S. and #421 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesAmerican University ranks #147 in the U.S. and #585 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesAmerican University ranks #160 in the U.S. and #380 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesAmerican University ranks #161 in the U.S. and #559 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesAmerican University ranks #171 in the U.S. and #765 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesAmerican University ranks #184 in the U.S. and #618 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWho Are American University's Most Influential Alumni?
American University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Law. Here are some of American University's most famous alumni:
- Bruce Schneier
- An American computer scientist, (1963 - ), New York, New York.
- Oliver North
- An American political commentator.
- Alice Paul
- An American suffragist, feminist, and activist .
- Stephen A. Kent
- A Canadian sociologist.
- Queen Rania of Jordan
- A Queen consort of Jordan.
- Corey Lewandowski
- An American political operative and commentator.
- Juan E. Méndez
- An Argentine lawyer and activist.
- Robert Kagan
- An American historian .
- Kathy Reichs
- An American writer and forensic anthropologist.
- James Alan Fox
- An American criminologist.
- Clark Howard
- A Syndicated Talk radio host, Consumer Advocate, & author.
- Max Brooks
- An American author.
Who Are American University's Most Influential Faculty?
American University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Law. Here are some of American University's most famous faculty:
- Ibram X. Kendi
- An American author and historian.
- Stephen Thompson
- An American editor.
- Jason Wingard
- An American university president.
- Peter Jaszi
- An American legal scholar.
- Kavita Bala
- An Indian computer scientist and academic.
- Jennifer Daskal
- An American lawyer.
- Tom Cochran
- An Obama administration technology official.
- Lydia X. Z. Brown
- An Autistic disability rights activist.
- Alexandra Silverthorne
- An American photographer.
- Trevor Owens
- An American librarian.
- Megan Gebbia
- An American basketball player.
