American University
A private research university in Northwest Washington, D.C., built around international affairs, public policy and internships in the capital.
- Acceptance rate
- 66%
- First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
- Students
- 11,299
- 6,730 undergraduates
- International
- 6%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 10:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $62,680
- 2026-27
About AU
American University was chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893 at the urging of Methodist bishop John Fletcher Hurst, who wanted a university in the capital that would train people for public service. It opened for graduate teaching in 1914 and admitted its first undergraduates in 1925. Today it is a private R1 research university on a 98-acre arboretum campus at Ward Circle in residential Northwest D.C., with 11,299 students in fall 2025: 6,730 undergraduates and 4,569 graduate and law students.
AU is organised into eight schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Kogod School of Business, the School of Communication, the School of International Service, the School of Public Affairs, the Baker School of Education, the School of Professional and Extended Studies, and the Washington College of Law. It is best known for international affairs and politics: the School of International Service and the School of Public Affairs sit a short Metro ride from Congress, federal agencies, embassies and think tanks, and AU says 85 percent of students complete at least one internship.
Admission is moderately selective: AU admitted 13,741 of 20,960 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (65.6%), and it is test-optional. Classes are small for a research university, with a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average undergraduate class of 23. It suits students who want to study politics, policy, media or global affairs in the place where those things happen, and who will make use of the city rather than stay on campus.
Pro Deo et Patria
“For God and Country” — university motto
Why students choose AU
The School of International Service and School of Public Affairs put policy, diplomacy and government coursework next to internships across Washington, and AU reports that 85 percent of students complete at least one internship.
Special academic programs such as the AU Honors Program, the Lincoln Scholars Program, DC Community Impact Scholars and the Sakura Scholars joint degree with Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto shape the first years around a cohort.
Three-year bachelor's options, including the Global Scholars Program, let students finish in six semesters plus two summers.
Early Decision applicants are reviewed need-blind and have 100 percent of demonstrated need met, plus priority housing and course registration.
Admissions
First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
About 1 in 2 applicants is admitted
13,741 admitted from 20,960 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
1,545 first-years enrolled; 4,928 applicants were offered a place on the waiting list. Early Decision is more selective to apply to but has a higher admit rate: 316 of 392 ED applicants were admitted, and AU says ED has a higher admit rate than Regular Decision. International applicants are reviewed need-aware.
Typical entry requirements
| U.S. high school curriculum | At least 16 college-prep units: 4 English, 3 mathematics (including 2 algebra and 1 geometry), 2 laboratory science, 2 social science and 2 foreign language; successful candidates usually go beyond the minimum |
|---|---|
| International secondary school record | Official transcripts for grades 9-12 (three years for 3-year systems) with certified English translations; predicted or final IB, A-level, GCSE, Abitur and similar exam results sent directly by the exam board |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 85 Minimum scores: TOEFL iBT 85 (or 4.5 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5, Cambridge English 176, Duolingo 120, PTE 60, LanguageCERT Academic 70 or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 610. Four years of English-medium study in the U.S., UK, IB and listed English-speaking systems also meets the requirement. Official scores only. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision I Binding Next deadline · In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Binding; signed ED agreement required. CSS Profile and FAFSA due November 15. Notification mid-December; deposit due January 15. Application fee waived.
- Early Action Non-binding In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Non-binding. CSS Profile and FAFSA due November 15. Notification mid-January (admit, deny or defer); deposit due May 1.
- Early Decision II Binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 15, 2027
Binding. CSS Profile and FAFSA due February 1. Notification mid-February; deposit due March 1.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 15, 2027
CSS Profile and FAFSA due February 15. Decision by April 1; deposit due May 1. Recommended round for AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship applicants.
AU's deadline pages list month and day without a year; its EGL Scholarship page confirms the fall 2027 cycle with a January 15, 2027 deadline. Special Academic Program applications (Honors, Lincoln Scholars, Global Scholars and others) are due December 1; Sakura Scholars applications are due November 1 for ED I applicants. Spring 2027 entry has an October 1 deadline (September 1 recommended for students abroad). AU's decision-plans page still says EGLS applications are due December 1, while the EGLS page gives January 15, 2027; follow the EGLS page and confirm with admissions.
How to apply
Common App; application essay and activities list; high school transcript and Secondary School Report; one teacher recommendation; $75 fee or fee waiver (waived for Early Decision); optional SAT/ACT, midyear report, extra recommendations and the AU short-answer prompt; optional portfolios or auditions for arts majors; Special Academic Program applications via the Future Eagle Portal by December 1; international applicants add a CV/resume, English test scores and the AU Declaration of Finances Form.
What admissions looks for
- Academic interests and life outside the classroom: the admissions committee says it wants to know about you as a person, not only your grades.
- A rigorous college-preparatory course of study that goes beyond AU's 16-unit minimum.
- Changemaker energy: AU's own short-answer prompt asks what belief, hobby, idea or issue you are passionate about.
- For international students, strong English, leadership and service; merit scholarships weigh academic achievement, communication skills in English, leadership, volunteerism and community service.
Tips for applying to AU
- 1 If AU is your first choice, Early Decision matters here: AU says ED has a higher admit rate, the review is need-blind, 100 percent of demonstrated need is met and the application fee is waived.
- 2 Answer the optional AU short-answer prompt about what you are passionate about; it is the only AU-specific writing and gives readers a reason to picture you on campus.
- 3 Create your Future Eagle Portal quickly after submitting and apply for Special Academic Programs such as Honors or Lincoln Scholars by December 1.
- 4 International students who need aid should apply for the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship (full billable costs for two students, partial awards up to $40,000) by January 15, 2027; admission is otherwise need-aware for internationals.
- 5 Submit test scores only if they strengthen your file: just 37 percent of admitted students for fall 2026 sent scores, and their middle 50 percent SAT was 1320-1430.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for American University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
U.S. citizens and permanent residents apply for need-based aid with the CSS Profile and FAFSA; Early Decision applicants are admitted need-blind and have 100 percent of demonstrated need met. Every admitted student is considered for merit scholarships through the admission application. International admission is need-aware (AU weighs ability to pay all costs), but AU says it provides need-based aid, need-based grants and merit scholarships to international students, including partial merit awards (listed at $8,000-$25,000 a year) and the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship, which covers full tuition, room and board for two students each year.
- 88%
- Average need met for first-year need-based aid recipients (CDS 2025-26)
- $53,000
- Average financial aid package, first-years with need (CDS 2025-26)
- 56 students, averaging $35,353
- International undergraduates receiving institutional aid (CDS 2025-26)
- Up to $40,000 per year
- AU Emerging Global Leader partial scholarships
- $87,374 including $272 Metro pass, $1,200 books, $692 transportation, $1,080 personal and $54 loan fees
- 2026-27 cost of attendance, first-year on campus
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
International Studies (School of International Service)
AU's flagship school for global affairs, where alumni include Sierra Leone's president and German Green Party founding member Petra Kelly.
Political Science and Public Policy (School of Public Affairs)
Government and policy study in the capital, with internships at federal agencies, Congress and advocacy groups within Metro range.
Journalism and Film and Media Arts (School of Communication)
Media programs in a news capital, with optional creative portfolios for film and photography applicants.
Sakura Scholars Program
A joint bachelor's in Global International Relations with Ritsumeikan University: two years in Washington and two in Kyoto.
Global Scholars Program
One of AU's three-year bachelor's routes, finishing in six semesters plus two summers.
AU Honors Program
A first-year living-learning community in Anderson Hall with scaffolded research, from group projects to a faculty-mentored Challenge Course.
Research
- Classified R1 (very high research activity); 94 percent of faculty hold the highest degree in their field.
- AU says it was the first carbon-neutral university in the U.S., and its campus is a 98-acre arboretum with more than 5,000 trees.
- Home to public radio station WAMU and the Bender Library, part of the Washington Research Library Consortium.
Schools & faculties
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Kogod School of Business
- School of Communication
- School of International Service
- School of Public Affairs
- Baker School of Education
- School of Professional and Extended Studies
- Washington College of Law
AU reports 91 percent of graduates employed or in graduate school within six months. College Scorecard: median earnings of $77,370 ten years after entry (and $61,328 six years after entry) for federally aided students.
Student life
AU is a residential campus in a quiet corner of Northwest D.C., but much of student life points outward: internships on Capitol Hill, at agencies and at nonprofits fill weekdays, and the Metro U-Pass included in fees makes the whole city reachable. All first-year students live on South Campus. On campus there are more than 250 student organisations, 20 religious communities, Greek life and a politically engaged student body, and the Eagles compete in NCAA Division I.
- 15 NCAA Division I teams in the Patriot League, plus men's wrestling, and 45 club and intramural sports.
- More than 250 student organisations and 20 religious communities.
- 60 percent of students study abroad before graduating, with priority planning for Early Decision entrants.
- The Veloric Concert, funded by Kogod alum Gary Veloric's family and launched in fall 2023, brings a major music act to campus.
Housing. All first-year students live on South Campus, including Honors students in Anderson Hall, and a first-year double room averages $13,112 for 2026-27.
Location
The campus sits at Ward Circle on Massachusetts Avenue, between the leafy Spring Valley and Tenleytown neighbourhoods of Northwest Washington. It feels suburban, but downtown D.C., the Smithsonian museums, Capitol Hill and the federal agencies where students intern are a Metro ride away. Washington is expensive, but students get unlimited Metrorail and bus travel through the U-Pass.
Nearest airport: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Notable alumni
- JM Julius Maada BioPresident of Sierra Leone; master's in international affairs
- PK Petra KellyFounding member of Germany's Green Party; BA, School of International Service (1970)
- DG David GregoryFormer moderator of NBC's Meet the Press; School of International Service graduate (1992)
- TS Tom ShalesWashington Post TV critic and 1988 Pulitzer Prize winner for criticism
- MC Michael ChasenCo-founder and former CEO of Blackboard Inc.; computer science degree (1993)
- SP Sharon ProstJudge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; JD, Washington College of Law
- JH Johnny HarrisIndependent journalist and YouTube filmmaker; MA in international peace and conflict resolution (2016)
- GH Goldie HawnAcademy Award-winning actress (attended, did not graduate)
Frequently asked questions
What is American University's acceptance rate?
AU admitted 13,741 of 20,960 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of about 65.6%. Early Decision has a higher admit rate than Regular Decision.
Is American University test-optional?
Yes. SAT and ACT scores are optional and can be self-reported; international students graduating outside the U.S. do not need them. Enrolled students who submitted scores had a middle-50% SAT of 1320-1440 and ACT of 30-33.
How much does American University cost per year?
For 2026-27, tuition is $62,680 plus $1,700 in mandatory fees, and the full first-year cost of attendance on campus is $87,374 including housing, food, books and transport.
Does American University give financial aid to international students?
Yes, but admission is need-aware for internationals. AU says it offers need-based aid and grants as well as merit scholarships to international students (partial merit awards have ranged from $8,000 to $25,000 a year), and the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship covers full tuition, room and board for two students, with partial awards up to $40,000 a year.
When are American University's application deadlines for fall 2027?
Early Decision I and Early Action are due November 1, 2026; Early Decision II and Regular Decision are due January 15, 2027. Special Academic Program applications are due December 1.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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