American University
Washington, District of Columbia · Private · 7,266 undergraduates · american.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
66%
of 20,960 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1320 to 1440
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$91,160Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at American University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
66% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$91,160
a year in 2027-28, from a $91,160 sticker price
What to do with your 1380
Send your score
About 79% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1260, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Prospective First-Year Student Application Checklist, American University, Washington, DC · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Action · November 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Nov1Early Decision · November 1, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan15Early Decision II · January 15, 2027A second binding round, after Early Decision.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
66%
of applicants were admitted: 13,741 of 20,960 for fall 2025.
Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/1, hear by 1/31.
Early Decision
Binding. 81% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
4,928 students were offered a spot; 1,182 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 16% of them sent SAT scores and 6.1% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1320 to 1440
Reading and Writing 630 to 710
Math 680 to 740
ACT composite 30 to 33
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160045%
- 1200 to 139954%
- 1000 to 11991.2%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$91,160
a year
- Tuition$65,190
- Fees$2,050
- Food and housing$20,480
- Books and supplies$1,250
- Transportation and other$2,190
American University published $87,660 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$28,397
- $30,001 to $48,000$19,487
- $48,001 to $75,000$27,150
- $75,001 to $110,000$31,984
- Over $110,000$53,571
Financial aid
88%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$40,439
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
24%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $17,232 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 11/15
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Aid deadline: 2/1
- The last day to send aid forms.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
American University National Merit Scholarship (AU-sponsored)
$2,000 a year
National Merit
Deadline: Name this college your first choice with NMSC by the NMSC published deadline. To keep it: stay on track toward your degree under the college's academic progress rules.
Details
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
41 of 41
Earn credit with a score of 3
2 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $6,520Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | ARTS 1XX 100-LEVEL SUBJECT CREDIT |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | ARTS 2XX 200-LEVEL SUBJECT CREDIT |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | AFAM 200X |
| Art History | 4 | 3 | ARTH 105X ARTISTS, AUDIENCES, AND AFTERLIVES (3) |
| Biology | 4 | 8 | BIO 110X GENERAL BIOLOGY I (4) BIO-210 GENERAL BIOLOGY II (4) |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 4 | MATH 221X CALCULUS I (4) |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 4 | MATH 2XX 200-LEVEL SUBJECT CREDIT |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 4 | 4 | MATH 221 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8 | CHEM-110 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (3) CHEM-111 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (1) CHEM-210 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (3) CHEM-211 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (1) |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 5 | ELEC 2XX 200-LEVEL ELECTIVE CREDIT |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 3 | GOVT 130 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 4 | CSC-148 |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 4 | CSC-1** |
| Drawing | 4 | 3 | ARTS 205 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 3 | WRT-AP |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | 6 | LIT 1XX 100-LEVEL SUBJECT CREDIT |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | ENVS 250 |
| European History | 4 | 6 | HIST 110X RENAISSANCE AND REVOLUTIONS (3) HIST 140X MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY: 1750 TO PRESENT (3) |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 4 | ELEC-2** |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 4 | ELEC-2** |
| Human Geography | 4 | 3 | SISU-1** |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 4 | ELEC-2** |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 5 | ELEC-1** |
| Latin | 4 | 3 | LIT-1** |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON-100 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 3 | ECON 200 |
| Music Theory | 5 | 6 | PERF 124, PERF 126 |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 4 | PHYS-105 |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 4 | PHYS-205 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 4 | PHYS 210 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 | PHYS-1** |
| Pre-Calculus | 4 | 3 | MATH 1** |
| Psychology | 4 | 3 | PSYC-100 |
| Research | 4 | 3 | WRT-AP |
| Seminar | 4 | 3 | WRT-AP |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 4 | ELEC-2** |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 3 | ELEC-3** |
| Statistics | 4 | 4 | STAT 202 |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 3 | GOVT-110 |
| United States History | 4 | 6 | HIST 2**, HIST 2** |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 6 | HIST 1**, HIST 1** |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
75%
Come back for a second year
88%
Typical earnings
$85,458
a year, 10 years after starting here
- American University$77,524
- All colleges$71,225
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 23 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with American University. The American University logo is a trademark of the college.