City Town Info

American University, District of Columbia

American University

American University or AU is a private United Methodist affiliated university in Washington, D.C., U.S. The university is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. It allows students to enroll in courses offered by other member institutions and students at other member institutions to enroll in courses at AU.

AU is ranked 83rd among "national universities" by US News & World Report's college and university rankings guide. It is also hailed as one of the 270 universities that house a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest honor society.

American University comprises six divisions, referred to as colleges or schools, which house its academic programs. They are:

  • College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
  • Kogod School of Business (KSB)
  • School of Communication (SOC)
  • School of International Service (SIS)
  • School of Public Affairs (SPA)
  • Washington College of Law (WCL)

The sports teams of AU are known as the ‘Eagles.’

Overview of American University

American University is in a large city, in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a United Methodist religious affiliation. American University is classified as a private, not-for-profit college. Students at the school earn degrees up to the Doctoral degree.

Areas of Study

There is a relatively broad range of courses and programs available at American University. The most common major fields study at the school include media, law, and liberal arts.

American University Selectivity

American University does not admit all applicants. Of people who applied to the school in 2005, 51% were accepted. The middle range of verbal SAT scores in 2005 was 600 to 690 for students at American University. While math SAT scores among applicants varied, those accepted commonly had scores between 580 and 670. The school attracts a fair number of students from out of state.

Faculty

Some professors at American University are awarded tenure, allowing the school to retain good faculty members. Faculty salaries at the school are higher than most.

Student Body

American University, in 2005, had 11,279 students (9,587 full-time equivalent).

Student Life

Most students at the school attend full-time. Dorm living is common. Athletic teams at the school belong to the Patriot League for major sports.

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting American University

American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016-8001
General Phone: (202) 885-1000
Admissions Phone: (202) 885-6000
Financial Aid Phone: (202) 885-6100
http://WWW.AMERICAN.EDU

American University Programs and Degrees (2005)

American University awarded degrees in these major categories in 2005:

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts1,147international relations, political science, economics, peace and conflict resolution, social services, history, sociology, English language and literature, ...
Law750law, international law, US law
Business And Management456business management, MIS, taxation
Media278communication studies, journalism, animation and special effects
Family And Social Work172public administration, social service professions, public policy analysis
Education And Teaching134elementary school teaching, ESL instruction, secondary teaching, education of learning disabled, education, educational administration, education courses, math teaching
Therapy And Counseling106psychology, clinical psychology, experimental psychology, cognitive psychology
Photography And Commercial Art102cinematography, film studies, printmaking
Science61biology, acoustics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, toxicology
Security And Law Enforcement46criminal justice and administration
Fine Arts30painting, art history and criticism, fine arts, sculpture
Computer Science And Engineering29computer science, information science
Art Studies24arts management
Religion And Philosophy22philosophy, ethics, general philosophy
Design21graphic design
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy19sports and fitness management, health and physical education
Conservation And Resource Management15environmental studies, environmental science
Mathematics15statistics, mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics courses
Drama And Performing Arts15drama, dance, dance courses
Music9music, music history and theory
Medicine5pre-med

Number of programs and degrees for American University in 2005:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree1,41952
Master's degree1,34952
First-professional degree5531
Doctor's degree7321
Postbaccalaureate certificate5816
Award of less than 1 academic year46
Associate's degree01

Student Body

In 2005, American University had a total enrollment of 11,279 students (9,587 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class (2005):

GroupPercent
Men36%
Women64%
Full-Time100%
Part-Time0%

More details are available, using 2004 data:

Students By Class (2004):

GroupPercent
Undergraduate51%
Graduate37%
First Professional12%

Racial Diversity (2004):
RacePercent
White49%
Black8%
Hispanic4%
Asian5%
American Indian0%
Other Races22%
(Foreign Students)11%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence (2004):
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
Pennsylvania13%
New York13%
New Jersey12%
Maryland9%
Massachusetts6%
California5%
Virginia4%
Foreign countries4%
Connecticut4%
Texas3%
Ohio3%
Florida2%
District of Columbia2%
New Hampshire2%
Illinois2%
North Carolina1%
Rhode Island1%
State unknown1%
Missouri1%
Colorado1%
Wisconsin1%
Tennessee1%
Michigan1%
Minnesota1%
Indiana1%
Washington1%
Maine1%
Vermont1%
Georgia1%
Oregon1%

American University Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2004):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time87 %
Part-Time100 %

American University Room and Board (2005)

American University offers campus housing for 3,931 of its 9,587 (full-time) students.

(Please refer to our profile of Washington, District of Columbia for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other District of Columbia Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

American University Admissions and Selectivity (2005)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total13,5836,97351%1,21817%
Men5,1852,36046%43919%
Women8,3984,61355%77917%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal600690
SAT Math580670
ACT Verbal2532
ACT Math2429
ACT Composite2630

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Ranknot required
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrequired
Recommendationsrequired
Formal Demonstration of Competencerecommended
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT92%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT28%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required
Other Standardized Testsnot required

Admissions Phone Number: (202) 885-6000

American University Expenses and Financial Aid (2005)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 27,552
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 27,552
Room and board$ 11,020
Room charge$ 6,970
Board (meal plan) charge$ 4,050
Books and supplies$ 600
Other expenses$ 1,300

Financial Aid:
American University participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 143400)

Financial Aid Phone Number: (202) 885-6100

American University Faculty

American University has a tenure system for faculty.

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2004):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year113$116,57438$117,528
Associate professoracademic year67$82,82559$76,825
Assistant professoracademic year78$61,788106$58,730
Instructoracademic year12$49,00017$37,826
All faculty totalacademic year270$89,369220$72,123

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

American University Athletics

Athletic Conferences (2005):

SportConference
BasketballPatriot League
TrackPatriot League

Students on Athletic Scholarships (2004):

SportMenWomenTotal
Total7694170
Basketball141428
Track10818
All Other Sports5272124

American University Degree Programs (2005)

ART STUDIES
Arts Management

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Business Administration and Management, General
Management Information Systems, General
Taxation

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Science
Information Science/Studies

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies

DESIGN
Graphic Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Dance, General
Dance, Other
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Education, General
Education, Other
Education/Teaching Individuals - Specific Learning Disabilities
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
Mathematics Teacher Education
Secondary Education and Teaching
Teaching English as Second/Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Public Administration
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other
Public Policy Analysis

FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Fine/Studio Arts, General
Painting
Sculpture

LAW
American/US Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence (LLM, MCJ, JSD/SJD)
International Law and Legal Studies (LLM, JSD/SJD)
Law (LLB, JD)

LIBERAL ARTS
American History (United States)
American/United States Studies/Civilization
Anthropology
Applied Economics
Creative Writing
Economics, General
Economics, Other
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies, Other
European History
French Language and Literature
French Studies
German Language and Literature
German Studies
History, General
International Economics
International Relations and Affairs
Language Interpretation and Translation
Latin American Studies
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
Political Science and Government, General
Political Science and Government, Other
Russian Language and Literature
Russian Studies
Social Sciences, General
Social Sciences, Other
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
Statistics, Other

MEDIA
Animation, Interactive Tech, Video Graphics and Special Effects
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Journalism

MEDICINE
Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies

MUSIC
Music History, Literature, and Theory
Music, General

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Health and Physical Education, General
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Film/Cinema Studies
Printmaking

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Ethics
Philosophy
Philosophy, Other

SCIENCE
Acoustics
Biochemistry
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Physics, General
Toxicology

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Clinical Psychology
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics
Experimental Psychology
Psychology, General

American University Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets American University Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
% of students from other states
(vs. all colleges)
Top 1%American University % of students from other states
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%American University Number of degree programs
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 3%American University Salaries of full-time faculty
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 6%American University Number of students
Student SAT scores
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%American University Student SAT scores
% of degrees in liberal arts
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 9%American University % of degrees in liberal arts
% of degrees in photography and commercial art
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 10%American University % of degrees in photography and commercial art
% of degrees in law
(vs. all colleges)
Top 11%American University % of degrees in law
% of degrees in media
(vs. all colleges)
Top 12%American University % of degrees in media
Female % of student body
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 13%American University Female % of student body
Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 15%American University Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 15%American University Dorm rooms per full-time student
Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 20%American University Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
United Methodist affiliation
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Offers weekend classes
Career counseling
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Option to study abroad
Offers campus housing
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army, navy, air force)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member

Schools Similar to American University

Try our unique CollegeMatch™ tool to find schools similar to American University.

Hotels Near American University

Washington Hotels Near American University

College and Career Sections of the Site

  • College Search Tools and Reference. Find colleges by location, size, degree programs, athletics, admission requirements, student body characteristics, and more.
  • Career Directory. Detailed info on hundreds of career types, including numbers of jobs and salaries by city.

Link to This Resource Page

Information is not guaranteed to be correct. Please check with individual schools for the most accurate and recent information.

Copyright © 2004-2008, Moving Traffic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

1