More selective than 33% of District of Columbia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $76,058. College Scorecard.
Higher than 57% of District of Columbia colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 71% of District of Columbia colleges we cover and 91% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
American University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 17,786 applicants, American University admitted 8,427 and 1,856 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1280–1460 on the SAT or 29–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
American University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What American University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of American University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in District of Columbia. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $23,233 | $95,023 | 2.4 years |
| $30–48k | $20,444 | $83,616 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $26,035 | $106,483 | 2.7 years |
| $75–110k | $30,063 | $122,958 | 3.1 years |
| $110k+ | $53,673 | $219,523 | 5.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (72% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($77,370) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $39,186 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Best-value colleges in District of Columbia for your income →
American University majors, earnings & careers
American University offers 44 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 6
- Business & Finance · 4
- Communications & Media · 4
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Education · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at American University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | $134,332 | $22,625 |
| Accounting | $119,020 | — |
| Computer Science | $117,293 | — |
| Business Administration | $88,359 | $24,697 |
| Economics | $85,016 | $22,625 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $78,410 | $26,442 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $76,552 | $23,000 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians | $75,461 | $20,980 |
Quick list of all 44 majors
- Accounting$119,020
- Anthropology$53,036
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians$75,461
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$88,359
- Chemistry—
- Communications$67,863
- Computational Science—
- Computer Science$117,293
- Criminal Justice$66,970
- Dance—
- Economics$85,016
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$66,160
- Environmental Science / Conservation$63,711
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$63,553
- Film and Photography$52,661
- Finance$134,332
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History$59,630
- International Relations$73,865
- Journalism$66,635
- Legal Studies / Paralegal$72,792
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Literature$54,436
- Mathematics—
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$76,552
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$73,604
- Psychology$62,240
- Public Health$70,831
- Public Relations and Advertising$78,410
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Public Relations and Advertising → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Washington
Overall prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,438. Housing costs 51% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 6 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, District of Columbia
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
District of Columbia at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare American University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in District of Columbia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University | 62% | $41,943 | 75% | $77,370 | This school |
| Howard University | 41% | $50,539 | 70% | $63,066 | |
| George Washington University | 47% | $36,586 | 84% | $90,873 | |
| The Catholic University of America | 83% | $29,561 | 79% | $73,250 | |
| Gallaudet University | 58% | $15,845 | 47% | $43,101 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
American University would cost you $8,596 less per year than Howard University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at American University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$22,961).
- American University gives aided families $30,024 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, District of Columbia resident | American University | HU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $58,771 | $35,810 | +$22,961 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,360 | −$360 |
| Housing & meals | $17,012 | $16,474 | +$538 |
| Personal & travel | $1,620 | $3,452 | −$1,832 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,345 | −$2,466 | +$121 |
| Sticker price | $76,058 | $54,630 | +$21,428 |
| Average grants | −$34,115 | −$4,091 | −$30,024 |
| You pay | $41,943 | $50,539 | −$8,596 |
“+” means American University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about American University
What is the American University acceptance rate?
American University accepts 62% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,427 of 17,786 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1280–1460 on the SAT or 29–32 on the ACT.
How much does American University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $76,058 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $41,943 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,233 and families earning $110k+ pay $53,673.
How much do American University graduates earn?
Former American University students earn a median $77,370 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the American University graduation rate?
75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 88% return for their second year.
How long does a American University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at American University costs about $106,483 after grants ($26,035 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $77,370 ten years after starting, $39,186 more than high school graduates in District of Columbia ($38,184), so the cost is repaid in 2.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “American University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/american-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).