American University - Academics

Academics

American University is rated "Most Selective", by the Princeton Review, with an admissions selectivity rating of 91 (on a scale of 60–99). American University enrolls about 1,500 freshmen each year, with a middle 50% GPA of 3.6–4.1 and middle 50% SAT score of 1220–1390 (critical reading and mathematics only). The average class size is 23 and the student-faculty ratio is 14:1. AU is ranked 77th among "national universities" by US News & World Report's college and university rankings guide, and is one of the 270 universities that house a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest honor society.

In 2008, 2010 and 2012, American University was named the most politically active school in the nation in The Princeton Review's annual survey of college students. In 2006, the Fiske Guide to Colleges ranked AU as a "Best Buy" college for the quality of academic offerings in relation to the cost of attendance. For two years in a row, American University has had more students chosen to receive Presidential Management Fellowships than any other college or university in the country. In spring 2006, 34 graduate and law students were chosen for the honor.

The Kogod School of Business, the first school of business in Washington, was named by The Wall Street Journal and Business Week magazine as one of the top business schools in the country. "Kogod is positioning itself squarely in the upper echelons of America's finest business schools," according to the Princeton Review. The Wall Street Journal ranked the Kogod School of Business in its 2004 “Top 50 MBA Programs.” "On September 16, 2007 the Wall Street Journal announced their 2007 graduate rankings, and the Kogod School of Business was ranked 36 out of the top 51." The School of International Service (SIS) is recognized as the largest of its kind in the U.S. Among The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) schools, AU's School of International Service has the largest number of minority students and female students and is ranked 6th among APSIA schools in numbers of international students. A review in Foreign Policy Magazine ranked the school 8th in the country for preparing future foreign policy professionals and 25th for academic careers. SIS's undergraduate programs earned a spot at number 11, and its graduate programs were ranked number 8. Because the field of international relations is not evaluated by U.S. News & World Report, the College of William and Mary recently published the results of their survey, which ranked the AU international relations master's degree in the top 10 in the United States and the doctoral degree in the top 25. The School of Communication is among the top 25 in the nation, and it graduates the third largest number of communication professionals among U.S. colleges and universities. The School of Public Affairs is ranked among the top 15 programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Washington College of Law's clinical program ranks second in the nation, its international law program is ranked 6th in the nation and the school overall ranks among the top 50 U.S. law schools according to U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Colleges.

American University is especially known for promoting international understanding. This is reflected in the diverse student body who is from more than 150 countries, the university’s course offerings, the faculty's research, and from the regular presence of world leaders on its campus. American University has the 12th largest number of graduates in current Peace Corps service (34), and ranks fourth in the number of Peace Corps volunteers as a percentage of the total undergraduate population.

American University has earned a reputation among the best schools in the nation for international relations, government and political science, as well as a hub for arts in Washington, D.C. The school has a long history of partnership with the Washington metropolitan area, beginning with its charter by the U.S. Congress in 1893. The University takes its responsibility to the community very seriously. In 2001, AU's economic impact on the District of Columbia totaled more than $600 million. WAMU, American's National Public Radio Station, is one of the top 5 NPR stations in the country. "Over 80% of AU undergraduate students and 60% of graduate students complete an internship or other experiential education experience by graduation.... Fifty-seven percent of AU’s undergraduate and 40% of graduate students participate in significant community service in the local community by graduation," according to their website.