American University College Confidential (2025)

FAQs

Is American University a reputable school? ›

American University Rankings

American University is ranked #105 out of 439 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

American University has an acceptance rate of 41%. Half the applicants admitted to American University who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1290 and 1435 or an ACT score of 29 and 33.

Consumption of alcohol is prohibited on university premises except as authorized by this policy. 2. Possession of alcohol is prohibited in university residence halls, Bender Arena, and at open-air events.

The acceptance rate at American University is 40.6%.

This means the school is moderately selective. The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they're more flexible than other schools.

With our renowned faculty, prominent guest speakers and lecturers, and access to national and international institutions, media and events, we create graduates who stand out from their peers as active, socially aware and compassionate leaders who work toward creating meaningful change in our world.

American universities are unique for the residential comforts they offer (and charge for). Items classified as ancillary services — climbing walls, state-of-the-art mega-student centers, seriously pimped-out dormitories — these things do cost money.

AU uses a holistic approach to admissions, meaning that students are evaluated based on their overall application rather than individual pieces like test scores. The University looks at students' grade trends throughout high school, community engagement, essays, teacher recommendations and demonstrated interest.

Average GPA: 3.65

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. With a GPA of 3.65, American University requires you to be above average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, with a leaning toward A's.

It's not because AU is not in the Ivy League that it's not an elite school. MIT isn't in the Ivy League either, but it would definitely be considered an elite school because of the quality of its programs, intellectual output, alumni network, and (of course) its extremely low acceptance rate.

The most popular majors at American University include: International Relations and Affairs; Business Administration and Management, General; Political Science and Government, General; Public Relations/Image Management; Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other; Finance, General; Criminal Justice/Safety Studies; Public ...

Is American University academically rigorous? ›

The academic rigor is great! The course work challenges me, but is not so horrible that I fall behind.

AU ranked #141 in Forbes America's Top Colleges in 2025. AU was named to the 2024-25 Military Friendly® Schools List and awarded a Top 10 Military Friendly® Schools award among Tier 2 Research Institutions. AU was rated 3.5 out of 5 stars in Money's Best Colleges in America in 2024.

According to USNWR it's 74 out of 310 in National Universities . That makes it in the top 24% of US national universities. When you look at Niche rankings (this combines all universities - National Universities, Liberal Arts, Regional universities & colleges) AU has an A- rating and a ranking of 189 of 2919.

American University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,917 (fall 2022), with a gender distribution of 36% male students and 64% female students.

53,889 USD (2022 – 23)

American University / Undergraduate tuition and fees

According to some, this mindset can be "pretty homogenous," as "the AU student body tends to be rather liberal-leaning and relatively affluent." However, another counters, "We have an incredibly diverse student body ranging from students from all across the U.S. to all across the world!" And many insist that "there is ...

The eight members of the Ivy League are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University. The conference headquarters are in Princeton, New Jersey.

The American Public University System is engaged in a continuous process to certify that it is recognized as an accredited institution of higher learning by all 50 states and the District of Columbia.