American University

4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC
4-year
Medium
Urban
Christian college

American University rankings and awards

Questions and Answers about American University

Lyra D.
1 year ago
Is the film program at American University mostly focus on documentary-based film?
American University
While there are students that are focused on documentary-filmmaking, our Film & Media Arts program prepares students for various career paths within the media industry. You can see course requirements/options here: https://www.american.edu/soc/film/ba/ba-fmed-degree-course-requirements-cfm.cfm
Madison M.
1 year ago
What is the floor plan of the different dorms om campus?
American University
We have several different floor plans for students to choose from. You can find the floor plans (and other important information) for each of our residence halls here: https://www.american.edu/ocl/housing/residence-halls.cfm
India S.
1 year ago
If I was not invited to the cornerstone program can I still apply?
American University
Hi India! Apologies for not seeing this question earlier but since the semester has started, you are not able to join Cornerstone. There are still opportunities to do internships and study abroad available!
Rileigh S.
1 year ago
If I am in cornerstone freshman year, what are my housing options?
American University
Cornerstone students will be living in University College housing, which are cohort-based floors in our first year residence halls. You can either live in a standard double or triple room.
Seif al daen l.
1 year ago
What housing options are available for students?
American University
Hi! We have three first-year residence halls: Anderson, Letts, and Centennial. Two are your traditional hallway-style residence halls while the third is a suite style where two rooms are connected by a jack-and-jill bathroom. You are able to select a preference for which style when you do your housing survey but it is not guaranteed. We have virtual tours of all our residence halls on our housing webpage if you want to see what they look like!
Alexandra M.
1 year ago
Are there housing options for graduate students?
American University
We do not offer on-campus housing for graduate students; however, I believe there are partnerships with nearby apartment buildings for off-campus housing. We work in undergraduate admissions, so it is not our area of expertise. Graduate admissions should be able to give you more info!
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Majors offered at American University

Biggest majors
International Relations and National Security Studies
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Political Science and Government

Academics at American University

1220-1380
SAT Score Range
400
1600
Considered with application
27-31
ACT Score Range
1
36
Considered with application
Student Faculty Ratio
12 to 1
Selectivity
Selective (32% Acceptance Rate)
School type
Non-profit Private 4-year institution
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Common careers for American University students

Common Careers and Their Average Annual Salary

Director of Operations76k
Project Manager, (Unspecified Type / General)75k
Communications Manager73k
Marketing Manager69k
Program Manager, Non-Profit Organization61k
Communications Specialist58k
Program Coordinator, Non-Profit Organization45k
Based on 10,787 student responses
56.5kAvg. Early Career Pay
109.6kAvg. Mid-Career Pay
47%in High-Meaning careers
3%in STEM careers

Net price of attending American University

American University financial aid

Grants per year
Loans per year

Student reviews of American University

by Bold.org students

3.3

5

4

3

2

1

Recommended by

77% of students

Known for

LGBTQ+ friendly
Beautiful campus
Safe campus
Lots of interesting clubs and activities
Great internship and research opportunities
Emma Beganovic
Travel And Tourism
Gardening
Piano
Law + 11 others

3.0

WHAT I LIKED

American University is a great school for those interested in policy, politics, and more. I am a STEM major and absolutely adore their new Hall of Science, which was just completed in 2021. Their food and dorms may not be the best, but the social experience of being in the city and with diverse groups of people is excellent. The party scene is essentially not existent, but the clubbing scene is top tier. The transportation available on campus is generally accessible and takes students to and from the nearest metro in Tenleytown. There are many academic and professional opportunities at AU, and the sense of community amongst the student body is generally good. We are a smaller school (about 14,000 TOTAL enrollment) so people tend to know people.

WHAT I didn’t LIKE

The food, costs, and dorms are not very good. The food is often bad-tasting, contains weird things, or is simply the wrong order. The dorms are pretty good, but there are about 2-3 dorm halls on campus with mold and many other issues due to how old they are. The costs are especially bad as the school is incredibly expensive, but if you get good aid then you're fine. Also, everybody thinks they are going to be the next president and people are sometimes TOO politically involved. The campus is extremely liberal, so I do not recommend if you are very right-leaning.

Tess Mellinger
Cooking
Advocacy And Activism
Art
Crocheting

5.0

WHAT I LIKED

Going to school at American University is such a special experience because you are provided with so many opportunities with being in the nation' Capital. AU has a rigorous curriculum that motivates students to learn and improve. There is such a positive social environment fostered here with so much kindness.

WHAT I didn’t LIKE

Some things to be aware of here at AU are the costs of tuition and city life, and the challenging level of classes.

Abigail Kelly
Field Hockey
Alpine Skiing
Reading

2.0

WHAT I LIKED

The vast majority of students at American University are exceptionally passionate about education and developing a holistic understanding of politics and international relations. The school's culture is definitely characterized by academics instead of social life. There is a weak social scene, although the school is not particularly cliquey and it is easy to make friends.

WHAT I didn’t LIKE

The school is not really as close to downtown DC as one may initially think. One of the school's main selling points is proximity to the city but it's is actually around 30 minutes from the downtown area by public transportation.

Tess Herdman
Drawing And Illustration
Singing
History
Art + 3 others

4.0

WHAT I LIKED

I really enjoyed my undergraduate experience at American University. Great things about AU: -Access to internship and job opportunities in D.C. is fantastic if you have an interest in politics/non-profit/international relations -D.C. is a fun college city with lots of events, free activities, public transportation, and other college students (from AU, GW, Georgetown, Howard, UDC, and Galludet) -I loved the AU campus and how it feels separate from the bustling part of the city -I feel like the International Studies program is one of the best in the nation and the professors were great

WHAT I didn’t LIKE

Things to think about: -The dining hall food is not stellar, but there are other food choices around, including an on-campus Subway -It is an extremely politically active campus, with a strong lean to the left (could be a positive or negative depending on your interests!) -There are safety concerns with the city and the campus being open but the campus itself is in a very safe part of D.C.

Sara Rivas Castro
Reading
Screenwriting

3.0

WHAT I LIKED

It is close to many respectable DC buildings!

WHAT I didn’t LIKE

alina ruehlemann
Music
Art
Sports

3.0

WHAT I LIKED

I like that American university is located right outside of central DC, providing a suburban feel with easy access to the city.

WHAT I didn’t LIKE

The food could be improved.

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While we do our best to show up-to-date information, due to COVID-19 and other factors out of our control, it is possible that the data we are showing about test requirements, application deadlines, and more, are inaccurate. Please verify with the college itself via their website to ensure you are aware of all requirements and deadlines.