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
Most Common
10-19
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.
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
Public Relations/Image Management
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
52.6
117.88
183.16
248.44
313.72
379
The Full List
MajorGraduates
Area
American/United States Studies/Civilization5
Women's Studies4
Women's Studies4
American/United States Studies/Civilization2
Near and Middle Eastern Studies2
Near and Middle Eastern Studies2
French Studies2
Asian Studies/Civilization1
Latin American Studies1
German Studies1
African-American/Black Studies1
Latin American Studies0
Russian Studies0
French Studies0
German Studies0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General27
Neuroscience15
Biochemistry1
Business
Business Administration and Management, General206
Finance, General75
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other33
Accounting18
Business Administration and Management, General6
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other2
Communication
Public Relations/Image Management124
Journalism54
Mass Communication/Media Studies24
Public Relations/Image Management8
Journalism5
Mass Communication/Media Studies3
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
Recording Arts Technology/Technician9
Recording Arts Technology/Technician1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
Computer Science24
Education
Elementary Education and Teaching9
Secondary Education and Teaching5
Secondary Education and Teaching0
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels0
English Language And Literature/Letters
General Literature16
General Literature1
Foreign Languages
Spanish Language and Literature3
Spanish Language and Literature2
Arabic Language and Literature1
Arabic Language and Literature1
Health Professions And Related Programs
Public Health, General62
Public Health Education and Promotion10
Public Health, General3
Public Health Education and Promotion1
History
History, General18
History, General7
Homeland Security
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies66
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies13
Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other7
Legal Professions And Studies
LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES21
Non-Professional Legal Studies21
Legal Studies21
LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES9
Non-Professional Legal Studies9
Legal Studies9
Liberal Arts And Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies0
Mathematics And Statistics
Statistics, General8
Mathematics, General5
Statistics, Other4
Applied Mathematics, General3
Mathematics, General2
Statistics, Other2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other107
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other3
Computational Science0
Natural Resources And Conservation
Environmental Science16
Environmental Studies11
Environmental Studies6
Philosophy And Religious Studies
Philosophy9
Philosophy3
Jewish/Judaic Studies3
Religion/Religious Studies1
Physical Sciences
Physics, General4
Chemistry, General0
Psychology
Psychology, General50
Psychology, General14
Social Sciences
International Relations and Affairs379
Political Science and Government, General162
Economics, General43
Political Science and Government, General24
Economics, General23
Sociology, General18
Anthropology, General10
Sociology, General6
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics5
Political Science and Government, Other5
International Relations and Affairs3
Anthropology, General2
Political Science and Government, Other1
Visual And Performing Arts
Film/Cinema/Media Studies48
Graphic Design14
Musical Theatre13
Music, General8
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General7
Film/Cinema/Media Studies4
Art History, Criticism and Conservation4
Dance, General2
Graphic Design2
Fine/Studio Arts, General2
Art History, Criticism and Conservation2
Photography1
Dance, General0
Fine/Studio Arts, General0
Mistakes were made
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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.