American University
Washington, District of Columbia · Also known as AU · Website
$77,370
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$77,370
median earnings, 10 years after starting
American University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Washington, District of Columbia with 7,266 undergraduates and 4,845 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $41,943 a year (tuition and fees $58,771). It admits 62% of applicants and 75% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $77,370 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,750 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$41,943
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$58,771
US median $11,837
Admission rate
62%
US median 78%
Completion rate
75%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,750
About $241 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$77,370
Rank 232 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $41,943
- Tuition and fees
- $58,771
- Cost of attendance
- $76,058
- Students with a need-based grant
- 14%
- Students with federal loans
- 38%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $23,233
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $20,444
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $26,035
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $30,063
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $53,673
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $43,103 in 2015-16 to $58,771 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 62%
- Average SAT
- 1,381
- SAT reading, middle
- 695
- SAT math, middle
- 665
- ACT, middle
- 31
- Undergraduates
- 7,266
- Graduate students
- 4,845
- Part-time students
- 2.8%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 10
- Completion rate
- 75%
- Retention rate
- 88%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 163
- Endowment
- $1.0B
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 232 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 15 in District of Columbia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | DC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $41,943 | $23,697 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $58,771 | $19,530 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 62% | 62% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 75% | 51% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 88% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,750 | $20,224 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $61,328 | $42,956 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $77,370 | $53,804 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 79% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 83% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
163 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Relations and National Security StudiesMaster's | Master's | 486 | $61,500 | $69,872 | $97,808 | $95,627 |
| International Relations and National Security StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 387 | $23,250 | $47,551 | $73,865 | $66,596 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 317 | $161,696 | $73,725 | $109,523 | $107,773 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 264 | $24,500 | $58,299 | $88,359 | $68,257 |
| Public AdministrationMaster's | Master's | 220 | $55,000 | $78,068 | $107,866 | $81,408 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 216 | $23,250 | $48,034 | $73,604 | $63,293 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 125 | $23,000 | $49,486 | $76,552 | $55,693 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesMaster's | Master's | 124 | $65,926 | $65,919 | $96,768 | $101,000 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 111 | $43,885 | $71,635 | $93,310 | $71,685 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 107 | $26,442 | $50,026 | $78,410 | $63,560 |
| Public Policy AnalysisMaster's | Master's | 105 | $54,986 | $67,929 | $98,588 | $93,020 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 104 | $23,250 | $37,147 | $66,970 | $55,378 |
| Homeland SecurityMaster's | Master's | 104 | $41,000 | $70,939 | $96,954 | $96,660 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 81 | $89,433 | $99,051 | $127,269 | $103,485 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 79 | $23,500 | $25,773 | $62,240 | $50,706 |
| Communication and Media StudiesMaster's | Master's | 78 | $51,250 | $68,299 | $94,424 | $71,953 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 71 | $22,191 | $58,151 | $85,016 | $82,686 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 66 | $51,250 | $94,453 | $127,356 | $124,807 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $23,250 | $42,194 | $70,831 | $58,808 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $22,625 | $83,505 | $134,332 | $83,343 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherCertificate | Certificate | 63 | $22,673 | $45,207 | $66,603 | $55,699 |
| Political Science and GovernmentCertificate | Certificate | 56 | $23,250 | $51,222 | $81,004 | $72,399 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchMaster's | Master's | 50 | $26,500 | $73,531 | $104,878 | $74,607 |
| EconomicsMaster's | Master's | 50 | $46,108 | $86,903 | $103,169 | $100,743 |
| JournalismBachelor's | Bachelor's | 49 | $24,976 | $44,387 | $66,635 | $56,278 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: District of Columbia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in District of Columbia
- Homes: Homes for sale in District of Columbia
Questions and answers
How much does American University cost?
$41,943 a year is the average net price at American University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $58,771, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $76,058. Families earning under $30,000 pay $23,233 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at American University?
62% of applicants are admitted to American University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,381 and the middle ACT score is 31. The median admission rate of colleges in District of Columbia is 62%.
How much do American University graduates earn?
$77,370 a year is the median pay of former American University students who work, 10 years after they started ($61,328 after 6 years). That ranks 232 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 15 in District of Columbia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $99,051.
How much student debt do American University graduates have?
$22,750 is the median federal student loan debt of American University graduates, about $241 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 38% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at American University?
75% of first-time, full-time students at American University finish within 6 years. 88% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at American University?
International Relations and National Security Studies (486 master's graduates), International Relations and National Security Studies (387 bachelor's graduates), Law (317 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 163 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.