American University
Washington, DC · Private · Patriot League
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
American University admitted 61.9% of applicants university-wide (10,613 of 17,154).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 61.9% | 10,613 | 17,154 |
| In-state | 43.1% | 195 | 452 |
| Out-of-state | 63.8% | 9,957 | 15,605 |
| International applicants | 42.0% | 461 | 1,097 |
| Early Decision (binding) | 79.8% | 579 | 726 |
| Men | 61.3% | 3,673 | 5,996 |
| Women | 62.2% | 6,934 | 11,151 |
Early Decision applicants were admitted at 79.8%, vs 61.9% overall — ED is a binding commitment.
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 10,613 admitted students, 1,662 enrolled (15.7% yield).
American University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1300–1430
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 29–32
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.25–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
American University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $82,794/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $60,270 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $22,524 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $82,794/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $23,233 |
| $30k–48k | $20,444 |
| $48k–75k | $26,035 |
| $75k–110k | $30,063 |
| Over $110k | $53,673 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- AU Presidential Scholarship — $22,000 per year (Presidential)
- AU United World College Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Presidential Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Presidential)
- AU 1893 Scholarship — $18,000 per year (Merit)
- AU Dean's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- AU Recognition Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- AU Scholarship — $6,000–$10,000 per year (Merit)
- Merit Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- Achievement Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- American University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar Program — Full tuition, fees, room and board, plus stipend (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- AU Presidential Scholarship — $22,000 per year (Presidential)
- AU United World College Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Presidential Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Presidential)
- AU 1893 Scholarship — $18,000 per year (Merit)
- AU Dean's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- AU Recognition Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- AU Scholarship — $6,000–$10,000 per year (Merit)
- Merit Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- AU International Student Need-Based Grant — Up to $5,000 per year (Need Based)
- Achievement Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship — Full tuition, room, board, health insurance, and fees (Full Tuition)
American University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- Early Decision Agreement
- Application fee
International applicants
- Early Decision Agreement
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
American University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:
- Please describe why you are interested in attending American University.300 words · Required
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $77,370
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 75.5%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 88.2%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $22,750
- At graduation
American University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #88
- WSJ: #272
- Forbes: #136
- Niche: #249
- QS: #587
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
- 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline
American University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Social sciences (34%), Business & marketing (11%), Interdisciplinary studies (8%).
Student–faculty ratio: 10:1 · 58% of class sections have under 20 students.
American University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.