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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
Public Relations/Image Management
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
52.6
117.88
183.16
248.44
313.72
379

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 5
  • Women's Studies 4
  • Women's Studies 4
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 2
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 2
  • French Studies 2
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 1
  • Latin American Studies 1
  • German Studies 1
  • African-American/Black Studies 1
  • Latin American Studies 0
  • Russian Studies 0
  • French Studies 0
  • German Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 27
  • Neuroscience 15
  • Biochemistry 1
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 206
  • Finance, General 75
  • Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other 33
  • Accounting 18
  • Business Administration and Management, General 6
  • Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other 2
Communication
  • Public Relations/Image Management 124
  • Journalism 54
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 24
  • Public Relations/Image Management 8
  • Journalism 5
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 3
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
  • Recording Arts Technology/Technician 9
  • Recording Arts Technology/Technician 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 24
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 9
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 5
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 0
  • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • General Literature 16
  • General Literature 1
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 3
  • Spanish Language and Literature 2
  • Arabic Language and Literature 1
  • Arabic Language and Literature 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Public Health, General 62
  • Public Health Education and Promotion 10
  • Public Health, General 3
  • Public Health Education and Promotion 1
History
  • History, General 18
  • History, General 7
Homeland Security
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 66
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 13
  • Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other 7
Legal Professions And Studies
  • LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 21
  • Non-Professional Legal Studies 21
  • Legal Studies 21
  • LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 9
  • Non-Professional Legal Studies 9
  • Legal Studies 9
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Statistics, General 8
  • Mathematics, General 5
  • Statistics, Other 4
  • Applied Mathematics, General 3
  • Mathematics, General 2
  • Statistics, Other 2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 107
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 3
  • Computational Science 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 16
  • Environmental Studies 11
  • Environmental Studies 6
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 9
  • Philosophy 3
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 3
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 4
  • Chemistry, General 0
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 50
  • Psychology, General 14
Social Sciences
  • International Relations and Affairs 379
  • Political Science and Government, General 162
  • Economics, General 43
  • Political Science and Government, General 24
  • Economics, General 23
  • Sociology, General 18
  • Anthropology, General 10
  • Sociology, General 6
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 5
  • Political Science and Government, Other 5
  • International Relations and Affairs 3
  • Anthropology, General 2
  • Political Science and Government, Other 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 48
  • Graphic Design 14
  • Musical Theatre 13
  • Music, General 8
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 7
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 4
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 4
  • Dance, General 2
  • Graphic Design 2
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 2
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 2
  • Photography 1
  • Dance, General 0
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 0

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