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American University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at American University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

10:1
Student to faculty ratio
20
Average class size
72%
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 10:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
69
10-19
934
20-29
481
30-39
126
40-49
29
50-99
8
100+
6

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.

Learn more about honors options on American's website.

Outcomes

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:

86%
First-year retention rate
72%
4-year grad rate
78%
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
Business Administration and Management, General
Political Science and Government, General
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Public Relations/Image Management
45.2
113.36
181.52
249.68
317.84
386

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 12
  • Women's Studies 3
  • Russian Studies 2
  • German Studies 2
  • African-American/Black Studies 2
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 1
  • French Studies 1
  • Latin American Studies 0
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 25
  • Neuroscience 12
  • Biochemistry 6
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 239
  • Finance, General 65
  • Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other 25
  • Accounting 13
Communication
  • Public Relations/Image Management 102
  • Journalism 43
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 24
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
  • Recording Arts Technology/Technician 9
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 28
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 11
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 0
  • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • General Literature 12
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 2
  • Arabic Language and Literature 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Public Health, General 53
  • Public Health Education and Promotion 10
History
  • History, General 23
Homeland Security
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 87
  • Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other 1
Legal Professions And Studies
  • LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 23
  • Non-Professional Legal Studies 23
  • Legal Studies 23
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 11
  • Statistics, Other 9
  • Statistics, General 5
  • Applied Mathematics, General 1
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 121
  • Computational Science 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 13
  • Environmental Studies 10
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 6
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 10
  • Chemistry, General 2
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 66
Social Sciences
  • International Relations and Affairs 386
  • Political Science and Government, General 182
  • Economics, General 45
  • Sociology, General 16
  • Political Science and Government, Other 11
  • Anthropology, General 11
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 8
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 41
  • Graphic Design 13
  • Musical Theatre 11
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 8
  • Music, General 4
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
  • Photography 1
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 1
  • Dance, General 0

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