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
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Public Relations/Image Management
45.2
113.36
181.52
249.68
317.84
386
The Full List
MajorGraduates
Area
American/United States Studies/Civilization12
Women's Studies3
Russian Studies2
German Studies2
African-American/Black Studies2
Asian Studies/Civilization1
French Studies1
Latin American Studies0
Near and Middle Eastern Studies0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General25
Neuroscience12
Biochemistry6
Business
Business Administration and Management, General239
Finance, General65
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other25
Accounting13
Communication
Public Relations/Image Management102
Journalism43
Mass Communication/Media Studies24
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
Recording Arts Technology/Technician9
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
Computer Science28
Education
Elementary Education and Teaching11
Secondary Education and Teaching0
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels0
English Language And Literature/Letters
General Literature12
Foreign Languages
Spanish Language and Literature2
Arabic Language and Literature1
Health Professions And Related Programs
Public Health, General53
Public Health Education and Promotion10
History
History, General23
Homeland Security
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies87
Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other1
Legal Professions And Studies
LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES23
Non-Professional Legal Studies23
Legal Studies23
Liberal Arts And Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies0
Mathematics And Statistics
Mathematics, General11
Statistics, Other9
Statistics, General5
Applied Mathematics, General1
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other121
Computational Science0
Natural Resources And Conservation
Environmental Science13
Environmental Studies10
Philosophy And Religious Studies
Philosophy6
Religion/Religious Studies1
Jewish/Judaic Studies0
Physical Sciences
Physics, General10
Chemistry, General2
Psychology
Psychology, General66
Social Sciences
International Relations and Affairs386
Political Science and Government, General182
Economics, General45
Sociology, General16
Political Science and Government, Other11
Anthropology, General11
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics8
Visual And Performing Arts
Film/Cinema/Media Studies41
Graphic Design13
Musical Theatre11
Art History, Criticism and Conservation8
Music, General4
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General3
Photography1
Fine/Studio Arts, General1
Dance, 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.