How strong are the academics at American University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
12:1
Student to faculty ratio
20
Average class size
68%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
American has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
10-19
2-9
63
10-19
846
20-29
509
30-39
131
40-49
24
50-99
2
100+
5
Honors Programs
American University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at American University:
88%
First-year retention rate
68%
4-year grad rate
75%
6-year grad rate
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are American University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
International Relations and Affairs
Political Science and Government, General
Business Administration and Management, General
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
39.2
108.56
177.92
247.28
316.64
386
The Full List
MajorGraduates
Area
Women's Studies8
Women's Studies3
American/United States Studies/Civilization3
African-American/Black Studies2
German Studies2
Russian Studies2
Latin American Studies2
Asian Studies/Civilization2
African-American/Black Studies1
German Studies1
Near and Middle Eastern Studies1
Asian Studies/Civilization1
French Studies0
Near and Middle Eastern Studies0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General37
Neuroscience15
Biochemistry8
Business
Business Administration and Management, General180
Finance, General42
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other32
Accounting11
Business Administration and Management, General3
Finance, General1
Communication
Journalism59
Public Relations/Image Management56
Mass Communication/Media Studies28
Public Relations/Image Management3
Mass Communication/Media Studies3
Journalism1
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
Recording Arts Technology/Technician6
Recording Arts Technology/Technician1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
Computer Science19
Computer Science1
Education
Elementary Education and Teaching19
Secondary Education and Teaching4
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels0
Secondary Education and Teaching0
English Language And Literature/Letters
General Literature25
General Literature9
Foreign Languages
Spanish Language and Literature4
Spanish Language and Literature4
Chinese Language and Literature1
Japanese Language and Literature1
Arabic Language and Literature1
Arabic Language and Literature1
Health Professions And Related Programs
Public Health, General48
Public Health Education and Promotion13
Public Health, General5
History
History, General27
History, General7
Homeland Security
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies97
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies14
Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other9
Legal Professions And Studies
Legal Studies31
Non-Professional Legal Studies31
LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES31
Legal Studies9
Non-Professional Legal Studies9
LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES9
Liberal Arts And Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies0
Mathematics And Statistics
Statistics, Other12
Mathematics, General9
Statistics, General5
Statistics, Other2
Mathematics, General1
Applied Mathematics, General0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other103
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other4
Data Science, Other4
Computational Science2
Natural Resources And Conservation
Environmental Science20
Environmental Studies17
Environmental Studies6
Environmental Science1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
Philosophy4
Philosophy4
Religion/Religious Studies1
Religion/Religious Studies1
Jewish/Judaic Studies0
Physical Sciences
Physics, General6
Chemistry, General6
Psychology
Psychology, General72
Psychology, General13
Social Sciences
International Relations and Affairs386
Political Science and Government, General189
Economics, General48
Economics, General20
Political Science and Government, General14
Sociology, General13
Anthropology, General8
Political Science and Government, Other5
International Relations and Affairs5
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics4
Sociology, General1
Visual And Performing Arts
Film/Cinema/Media Studies46
Graphic Design11
Musical Theatre9
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General7
Fine/Studio Arts, General6
Music, General6
Photography4
Film/Cinema/Media Studies3
Fine/Studio Arts, General2
Graphic Design2
Music, General2
Art History, Criticism and Conservation2
Musical Theatre1
Art History, Criticism and Conservation1
Photography1
Dance, General0
Mistakes were made
(But not by you!)
These are the top 10 mistakes people make when searching for colleges
CollegeIQ® relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.