American University
American University is a private nonprofit college in Washington, DC. Its average net price is $41,302 a year - and the price families actually pay swings a lot by income, as the receipt below shows.
Money
Tuition and room and board for the 2025-26 academic year
Average Net Price by Family Income
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $28,397 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $19,487 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $27,150 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $31,984 |
| $110,001 and up | $53,571 |
Admissions
Outcomes
| Horizon | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 6 years after entry | $64,737 |
| 8 years after entry | $76,696 |
| 10 years after entry | $85,458 |
Campus Facts
Programs and What They Pay
Each figure prints the sample size behind it. A college figure appears only when at least 30 graduates sit behind it; smaller programs show the national median for the major instead. Read Why We Show Sample Sizes.
| Major | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $60,798 National median for this major n=44,210 | Not published |
| Anthropology | $34,245 National median for this major n=8,063 | Not published |
| Applied Mathematics | $66,131 National median for this major n=2,571 | Not published |
| Area Studies | $38,972 National median for this major n=3,356 | Not published |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | $34,374 National median for this major n=1,637 | Not published |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $43,049 National median for this major n=8,694 | Not published |
| Biology | $36,562 National median for this major n=68,911 | $20,375 Small program - rough guide n=30 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $58,346 n=148 | $20,750 Small program - rough guide n=98 |
| Chemistry | $47,486 National median for this major n=10,597 | Not published |
| Communications | $42,882 National median for this major n=55,154 | Not published |
| Computational Science | $75,740 National median for this major n=203 | Not published |
| Computer Science | $80,182 National median for this major n=35,263 | Not published |
| Criminal Justice | $50,419 Small program - rough guide n=76 | $20,875 n=116 |
| Dance | $28,513 National median for this major n=2,991 | Not published |
| Data Science | $76,968 National median for this major n=322 | Not published |
| Design and Applied Arts | $39,422 National median for this major n=22,892 | Not published |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $29,768 National median for this major n=14,923 | Not published |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $36,286 National median for this major n=1,258 | Not published |
| Economics | $59,345 Small program - rough guide n=58 | $19,062 Small program - rough guide n=40 |
| Environmental Conservation | $38,268 Small program - rough guide n=30 | Not published |
| Ethnic and Gender Studies | $38,739 National median for this major n=5,496 | Not published |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $38,663 Small program - rough guide n=46 | $20,167 Small program - rough guide n=38 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $76,317 Small program - rough guide n=41 | Not published |
| History | $38,156 National median for this major n=20,617 | Not published |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $52,053 n=401 | $20,500 n=353 |
| Journalism | $50,406 Small program - rough guide n=71 | $20,500 Small program - rough guide n=56 |
| Liberal Arts | $42,801 National median for this major n=38,048 | Not published |
| Literature | $35,235 National median for this major n=380 | Not published |
| Mathematics | $52,843 National median for this major n=13,762 | Not published |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $43,178 National median for this major n=246 | Not published |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $55,587 Small program - rough guide n=92 | $19,500 n=109 |
| Music | $33,156 National median for this major n=13,251 | Not published |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $37,389 National median for this major n=7,500 | Not published |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | $57,941 Small program - rough guide n=38 | $21,375 Small program - rough guide n=41 |
| Philosophy | $37,154 National median for this major n=6,052 | Not published |
| Physics | $52,079 National median for this major n=4,999 | Not published |
| Political Science and Government | $56,964 n=186 | $19,875 n=218 |
| Psychology | $48,145 Small program - rough guide n=49 | $23,250 Small program - rough guide n=75 |
| Public Health | $49,977 Small program - rough guide n=71 | $19,930 Small program - rough guide n=64 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $55,454 Small program - rough guide n=93 | $22,250 Small program - rough guide n=61 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | $28,307 National median for this major n=4,315 | Not published |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $40,236 National median for this major n=8,855 | Not published |
| Sociology | $40,712 National median for this major n=29,430 | Not published |
| Statistics | $68,688 National median for this major n=3,096 | Not published |
| Studio Art | $31,108 National median for this major n=25,748 | Not published |
| Teaching | $44,159 National median for this major n=58,872 | Not published |
Explore Further
All Colleges in District of Columbia Accounting Anthropology Applied Mathematics Area Studies Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Biology Business Administration, Management and Operations Chemistry Communications Computational Science Computer Science Criminal Justice Dance Data Science Design and Applied Arts Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Economics Environmental Conservation Ethnic and Gender Studies Film/Video and Photographic Arts Finance and Financial Management Services History International Relations and National Security Studies Journalism Liberal Arts Literature Mathematics Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other Music Neurobiology and Neurosciences Non-Professional Legal Studies Philosophy Physics Political Science and Government Psychology Public Health Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Religion/Religious Studies Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Sociology Statistics Studio Art Teaching