Acceptance Rate History
American University Acceptance Rate: 65.6% in 2025 (2013–2025 history)
DC · Current rate: 65.6%
This page is one school. The answer weighs it against the rest of your list, from what each school published.
What is American University's acceptance rate in 2025?
American University's acceptance rate in 2025 is 65.6%, up from 62.0% in 2024.
Common Data Set 2025-2026
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Acceptance Rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65.6% | 20,960 | 13,741 |
| 2024 | 62.0% | 17,173 | 10,640 |
| 2023 | 47.4% | 17,786 | 8,427 |
| 2022 | 40.6% | 19,510 | 7,926 |
| 2021 | 64.1% | 19,650 | 12,594 |
| 2020 | 38.7% | 20,036 | 7,744 |
| 2019 | 36.1% | 18,545 | 6,691 |
| 2018 | 31.5% | 18,984 | 5,988 |
| 2017 | 29.4% | 18,699 | 5,498 |
| 2016 | 25.9% | 19,325 | 5,008 |
| 2015 | 35.0% | 16,735 | 5,860 |
| 2014 | 45.8% | 15,119 | 6,931 |
| 2013 | 43.1% | 17,545 | 7,566 |
Source: IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · College Scorecard
Cost
The same school, two different prices
Family income under $30k: $23,233/yr · Family income over $110k: $53,673/yr (AY 2023–24)
Average paid by students receiving federal aid, by family income (College Scorecard). International students are not eligible for U.S. federal aid, so they are not in this cohort and typically pay closer to the sticker price.
High-income families typically pay closer to sticker.
Aid for international students
American University's average institutional aid award to international undergraduates was $35,353 (2025-2026 Common Data Set).
These figures describe only the international students who actually received aid — not what a typical international admit can expect. International students outside this group pay the full sticker price.
Source: official Common Data Set filing
Admitted Student Profile
SAT Range · Middle 50% (25th–75th)
1320–1440
Common Data Set 2025-2026
Admitted students at American University scored between 1320 and 1440 on the SAT (middle 50%).
Source: College Scorecard · U.S. Dept of Education
How to read these numbers
- The 2025 rate covers American University's whole applicant pool — early and regular applications counted together in one figure. It is not the rate of any single round.
- 1320–1440 is the middle half of admitted scores, not a cutoff: a quarter of admitted students scored below 1320, and a quarter scored above 1440.
- The table above holds 13 reported years, 2013 through 2025. Across them American University's rate ranged from 25.9% to 65.6%, so any single year is one point inside that range.
Each figure above describes a class a school already admitted in a completed cycle. It is a record of who was admitted, not a measurement of any one application.
Source: College Scorecard · IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · U.S. Dept. of Education
Where do you stand?
School
American University
American University
SAT
Middle 50% of admitted students scored 1320–1440.
This is SAT only — one slice of an application, not the whole of it.
Your odds at every school on your list — $9.99 through Nov 15 →
Trend Analysis
American University's acceptance rate has increased from 43.1% in 2013 to 65.6% in 2025. The most notable shift occurred in 2021.
Analysis compiled from official data trends.
Similar Schools — Acceptance Rate History
Data sourced from IPEDS and College Scorecard. Does not represent endorsements or guarantee admission outcomes.