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American University

Basic Information

Type Private

Geographical Reach National

Religious Affiliation United Methodist

Location Washington, DC

Population 4,500,000

Website http://www.american.edu/

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 7,593

Men / Women 38% / 62%

White 52%

Hispanic 14%

Asian 9%

Black 9%

Mixed 5%

International 5%

Native American 0%

From State 3%

From Region 16%

Academics

Undergraduate Degrees

Humanities & Social Sciences 64%

Business & Economics 18%

Arts 5%

Life & Natural Sciences 5%

Health Sciences 3%

Physical Sciences & Math 2%

Computer Science 1%

Education 1%

Financial

Tuition & Fees $61,992

Est. Cost of Attendance $76,058

10-Year ROI $125,000

ROI Percentile 35th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 88%

4-Year Graduation Rate 68%

6-Year Graduation Rate 75%

Transfer-Out Rate 0%

Weather

Comfortable Days 110 (71%)

Sunshine Hours 2,528 (38%)

Days Without Precipitation 252 (60%)

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes

Acceptance Rate 66%

Yield (Unbound) 12%

Early Decision 1 Nov 1

Early Action Nov 1

Regular Decision Jan 1

Early Decision 2 Jan 15

Research

Research Level R1

Expenditure

Humanities & Social Sciences	$12M	#117
Life & Natural Sciences	$10M	#245
Engineering, Computing & Math	$1M	#361

Graduate Degrees

Humanities & Social Sciences	457	#29
Engineering, Computing & Math	0	#258
Life & Natural Sciences	5	#511

Honors College

Standardized Tests

Test Scores

Test Policy optional

Submitted Test Scores 30%

SAT Range 1310 – 1420

SAT Math Range 620 – 720

SAT RW Range 660 – 740

ACT Range 29 – 32

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Schools & Majors

⇅	Degrees	Male/Female	Intl	Earnings	ROI	Employment
College of Arts and Sciences	582	32% / 68%	8%	$68,015		94%
Computational Science	2 —	100% / 0%	0%	$100,361	94	—
Computer Science	19 +1	68% / 32%	11%	$114,947	98	94%
Data Science	4 —	25% / 75%	0%	$86,411	86	—
Applied Mathematics	— —	—	—	$95,512	92	—
Chemistry	6 —	50% / 50%	17%	$69,178	61	—
Mathematics	9 +1	11% / 89%	22%	$79,570	79	—
Mathematics and Statistics	5 —	80% / 20%	20%	$96,401	92	—
Physics	6 —	67% / 33%	17%	$76,574	75	—
Statistics	12 +2	58% / 42%	17%	$97,109	93	—
Biochemistry	8 —	38% / 62%	25%	$66,891	56	—
Biology	37 —	19% / 81%	3%	$54,479	21	91%
Environmental Science	20 +1	40% / 60%	5%	$78,483	78	100%
Environmental Studies	17 +6	6% / 94%	0%	$78,483	78	100%
Neuroscience	15 —	20% / 80%	0%	$64,463	50	—
Public Health	48 +5	15% / 85%	0%	$67,737	58	94%
Public Health Education and Promotion	13 —	8% / 92%	0%	$67,737	58	94%
Economics	48 +20	67% / 33%	44%	$77,219	76	90%
Quantitative Economics	4 —	25% / 75%	25%	$77,219	76	90%
African American Studies	2 +1	0% / 100%	0%	$66,897	56	100%
American Studies	3 —	0% / 100%	0%	$67,023	56	88%
Anthropology	8 —	25% / 75%	0%	$51,975	15	100%
Arabic	1 +1	0% / 100%	0%	$59,789	36	—
Asian Studies	1 +2	0% / 100%	0%	$67,023	56	88%
Chinese	1 —	0% / 100%	0%	$59,822	36	—
German Studies	1 +2	0% / 100%	0%	$67,023	56	88%
History	27 +7	59% / 41%	4%	$54,363	21	94%
Interdisciplinary Studies	103 +4	40% / 60%	1%	$69,087	61	98%
Japanese	1 —	0% / 100%	0%	$59,820	36	—
Latin American Studies	2 —	0% / 100%	0%	$67,023	56	88%
Literature	25 +9	20% / 80%	0%	$51,266	14	96%
Philosophy	4 +4	50% / 50%	0%	$59,437	35	—
Psychology	72 +13	19% / 81%	10%	$62,657	44	88%
Religious Studies	1 +1	0% / 100%	0%	$59,650	36	—
Russian Studies	2 —	100% / 0%	0%	$67,023	56	88%
Russian Studies	— —	—	—	$67,032	56	—
Sociology	13 +1	8% / 92%	0%	$62,954	45	100%
Spanish	4 +4	0% / 100%	0%	$60,066	37	—
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies	8 +3	25% / 75%	0%	$66,897	56	100%
Art History	2 +1	0% / 100%	0%	$50,917	13	100%
Music	6 +2	50% / 50%	0%	$49,069	10	—
Musical Theatre	9 +1	0% / 100%	0%	$46,621	7	95%
Studio Art	6 +2	0% / 100%	17%	$50,917	13	100%
Theater	7 —	29% / 71%	0%	$46,621	7	96%

⇅	Degrees	Male/Female	Intl	Earnings	ROI	Employment
Kogod School of Business	265	50% / 50%	36%	$91,812		91%
Accounting	11 —	36% / 64%	45%	$104,304	96	96%
Business Administration	180 +3	51% / 49%	41%	$88,921	88	90%
Business Management	32 —	28% / 72%	16%	$88,921	88	90%
Finance	42 +1	69% / 31%	29%	$103,137	95	95%

⇅	Degrees	Male/Female	Intl	Earnings	ROI	Employment
School of Communication	210	24% / 76%	11%	$72,735		96%
Communication Studies	28 +3	21% / 79%	36%	$75,154	73	92%
Journalism	59 +1	25% / 75%	5%	$55,636	24	97%
Public Communication	56 +3	14% / 86%	12%	$94,957	92	100%
Audio Technology	6 +1	50% / 50%	0%	$65,827	53	90%
Film and Media Arts	46 +3	35% / 65%	7%	$69,028	61	94%
Graphic Design	11 +2	18% / 82%	9%	$65,791	53	—
Photography	4 +1	25% / 75%	0%	$69,028	61	94%

⇅	Trends	Degrees	Male/Female	Intl	Earnings	ROI	Employment
School of Education		19	16% / 84%	0%	$66,315		85%
Elementary Education		19 —	16% / 84%	0%	$66,315	54	85%

⇅	Trends	Degrees	Male/Female	Intl	Earnings	ROI	Employment
School of International Service		386	38% / 62%	8%	$71,028		90%
International Affairs		386 +5	38% / 62%	8%	$71,028	65	90%

⇅	Degrees	Male/Female	Intl	Earnings	ROI	Employment
School of Public Affairs	331	36% / 64%	1%	$75,481		92%
Criminal Justice	97 +14	16% / 84%	1%	$61,582	41	90%
Government	5 —	60% / 40%	0%	$78,954	78	94%
Justice	9 —	11% / 89%	0%	$61,582	41	90%
Legal Studies	31 +9	29% / 71%	3%	$101,273	95	91%
Political Science	189 +14	48% / 52%	1%	$78,954	78	94%