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American University

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, DC. 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. The middle range of verbal SAT scores in 2007-2008 was 580 to 700 for students at the school. While math SAT scores among applicants varied, those accepted commonly had scores between 570 and 670.

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 2007-2008, had 11,449 students (9,079 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
http://WWW.AMERICAN.EDU

American University Programs and Degrees (2008-2009)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts1,359international relations, political science, economics, history, social services, peace and conflict resolution, English language and literature, anthropology, ...
Law668law, international law, US law
Business And Management402business management, taxation, MIS, accounting, human resources
Media263communication studies, journalism, animation and special effects
Education And Teaching232elementary school teaching, secondary teaching, education of learning disabled, ESL instruction, comparative education, education, math teaching, educational administration
Family And Social Work144public administration, public policy analysis, social service professions
Therapy And Counseling85psychology, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, personality psychology, experimental psychology
Photography And Commercial Art81cinematography, film studies, multimedia, printmaking
Science58biology, acoustics, biochemistry, chemistry, physics
Security And Law Enforcement49criminal justice and administration
Religion And Philosophy38philosophy, ethics
Fine Arts30art history and criticism, painting, fine arts, sculpture
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy22sports and fitness management, health and physical education
Mathematics19statistics, mathematics, statistics courses, applied mathematics
Conservation And Resource Management15environmental studies, environmental science
Art Studies14arts management
Medicine9pre-med
Computer Science And Engineering8computer science
Music7music, music history and theory
Design6graphic design
Drama And Performing Arts6drama, dance, dance courses

Number of programs and degrees for American University in 2008-2009:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree1,48351
Master's degree1,38752
Doctor's degree - professional practice4751
Award of less than 1 academic year658
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship5814
Postbaccalaureate certificate4722
Associate's degree01

Student Body

In 2007-2008, American University had a total enrollment of 11,449 students (9,079 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men38%
Women62%
Full-Time100%
Part-Time0%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate52%
Graduate48%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White52%
Black7%
Hispanic5%
Asian5%
American Indian1%
Unknown22%
(Foreign Students)9%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 181%
18-1924%
20-2122%
22-2421%
25-2919%
30-346%
35-393%
40-492%
50-641%
65+0%

American University Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time86 %

American University Room and Board (2007)

American University offers campus housing for 3,460 of its 9,079 (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

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total15,4138,15753%1,57719%
Men6,0032,98250%60520%
Women9,4105,17555%97219%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal580700
SAT Math570670
SAT Writing580680
ACT Verbal2531
ACT Math2429
ACT Composite2530

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 SAT87%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT50%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required
Other Standardized Testsnot required

American University Expenses and Financial Aid (2008-2009)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 33,283
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 33,283
Room and board$ 12,418
Room charge$ 8,258
Board (meal plan) charge$ 4,160
Books and supplies$ 1,000
Other expenses$ 1,300

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

American University Faculty

American University has a tenure system for faculty.

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year101$141,11636$148,021
Associate professoracademic year66$95,81469$89,517
Assistant professoracademic year96$66,296109$68,840
Instructoracademic year25$50,98232$46,477
No academic rankacademic year27$89,26927$77,906
All faculty totalacademic year315$97,224273$82,783

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

American University Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
BasketballPatriot League
TrackPatriot League

Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):

SportMenWomenTotal
Total7284156
Basketball131225
Track14620
All Other Sports4566111

American University Degree Programs (2007)

ART STUDIES
Arts Management

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
Management Information Systems, General
Taxation

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Science

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/Teaching Individuals - Specific Learning Disabilities
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
International and Comparative Education
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/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 Studies/Civilization
French Language and Literature
French Studies
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
Intermedia/Multimedia
Printmaking

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Ethics
Philosophy

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

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration

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

American University Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets American University Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%American University Number of degree programs
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 4%American University Salaries of full-time faculty
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 6%American University Number of students
% of degrees in liberal arts
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 7%American University % of degrees in liberal arts
Student SAT scores
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%American University Student SAT scores
Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 8%American University Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
% 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 11%American University % of degrees in media
Female % of student body
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 14%American University Female % of student body
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 17%American University Dorm rooms per full-time student
% of degrees in religion and philosophy
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 20%American University % of degrees in religion and philosophy
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 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

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