First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline | Decision by |
|---|---|---|
| Early action Apply early, hear early, not binding. | November 1, 2026 | |
| Early decision Apply early, hear early, and you must enroll if admitted. Binding. | November 1, 2026 | |
| Early decision II A second, later early decision round. Also binding. | January 15, 2027 | |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | January 15, 2027 | April 1, 2027 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: american.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, all students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | American University course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 4 | MATH-221X Calculus I*** (4) | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | MATH-2XX 200-Level Subject Credit** (4) | |
| Biology | 4 | BIO-110X BIO-210 General Biology I*** (4) General…BIO-110X BIO-210 General Biology I*** (4) General Biology II (4) | |
| Chemistry | 4 | CHEM-110 CHEM-111 CHEM-210 CHEM-211 General…CHEM-110 CHEM-111 CHEM-210 CHEM-211 General Chemistry I (3) General Chemistry I Lab (1) General Chemistry II (3) General Chemistry II Lab (1) | |
| United States History | 4 | HIST-205 HIST-206 American Encounters: 1492-1865…HIST-205 HIST-206 American Encounters: 1492-1865 (3) US History Since 1865 (3) | |
| Psychology | 4 | PSYC-100 Introduction to Psychology (3) | |
| Statistics | 4 | STAT-202X Basic Statistics*** (4) | |
| Computer Science A | 4 | CSC-148 Intro to Computer Science I (4) |
Show all 34 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 4 | MATH-221X Calculus I*** (4) | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | MATH-2XX 200-Level Subject Credit** (4) | |
| Biology | 4 | BIO-110X BIO-210 General Biology I*** (4) General…BIO-110X BIO-210 General Biology I*** (4) General Biology II (4) | |
| Chemistry | 4 | CHEM-110 CHEM-111 CHEM-210 CHEM-211 General…CHEM-110 CHEM-111 CHEM-210 CHEM-211 General Chemistry I (3) General Chemistry I Lab (1) General Chemistry II (3) General Chemistry II Lab (1) | |
| United States History | 4 | HIST-205 HIST-206 American Encounters: 1492-1865…HIST-205 HIST-206 American Encounters: 1492-1865 (3) US History Since 1865 (3) | |
| Psychology | 4 | PSYC-100 Introduction to Psychology (3) | |
| Statistics | 4 | STAT-202X Basic Statistics*** (4) | |
| Computer Science A | 4 | CSC-148 Intro to Computer Science I (4) | |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | ECON-100 Macroeconomics (3) | |
| Microeconomics | 4 | ECON-200 Microeconomics (3) | |
| World History: Modern | 4 | HIST-1XX 100-Level Subject Credit** (6) | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | ENVS-250 Living on Earth (3) | |
| Environmental Science | 4 | ENVS-160 Biodiversity & Ecosystems: Foundations…ENVS-160 Biodiversity & Ecosystems: Foundations of Env. Science (4) | |
| European History | 4 | HIST-110X HIST-140X Renaissance & Revolutions***…HIST-110X HIST-140X Renaissance & Revolutions*** (3) Modern European History: 1750- Present*** (3) | |
| Human Geography | 4 | SISU-1XX 100-Level Subject Credit** (3) | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | ELEC-2XX 200-Level Elective Credit** (4) | |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | CSC-1XX 100-Level Subject Credit** (4) | |
| Art History | 4 | ARTH-105X Artists, Audiences, & Afterlives*** (3) | |
| Music Theory | 5 | MUSC-124 MUSC-126 Music Theory I (3) Musicianship I (3) | |
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | ARTS-1XX 100-Level Subject Credit** (3) | |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | ARTS-2XX 200-Level Subject Credit** (3) | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 200-Level Elective Credit** (5) | |
| Drawing | 4 | ARTS-205 Artist’s Perspective: Drawing (3) | |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | ELEC-2XX 200-Level Elective Credit** (4) | |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | ELEC-2XX 200-Level Elective Credit** (4) | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | ELEC-2XX 200-Level Elective Credit** (4) | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | ELEC-2XX 200-Level Elective Credit** (5) | |
| Latin | 4 | LIT-1XX 100-Level Subject Credit** (3) | |
| Physics 1: Algebra-based | 4 | PHYS-105 General Physics I (4) | |
| Physics 2: Algebra-based | 4 | PHYS-205 General Physics II (4) | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | PHYS-110X Principles of Physics I** (4) | |
| Research + Seminar (Capstone) | 4 | WRT-AP WRT-AP (3) + WRT-106 fulfills the Written…WRT-AP WRT-AP (3) + WRT-106 fulfills the Written Information Literacy I Req. | |
| Seminar | 4 | WRT-AP WRT-AP (3) + WRT-106 fulfills the Written…WRT-AP WRT-AP (3) + WRT-106 fulfills the Written Information Literacy I Req. | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | ELEC-3XX 300-Level Elective Credit** (3) | |
| US Government and Politics | 4 | GOVT-110 Politics in the US (3) |
Source: american.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| International Relations and Affairs | 386 |
| Political Science and Government | 189 |
| Business Administration and Management | 180 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 103 |
| Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | 97 |
| Psychology | 72 |
| Journalism | 59 |
| Public Relations/Image Management | 56 |
Show the other 51 majors
| Economics | 48 |
| Public Health | 48 |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 46 |
| Finance | 42 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 37 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other | 32 |
| Legal Studies | 31 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies | 28 |
| History | 27 |
| General Literature | 25 |
| Environmental Science | 20 |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 19 |
| Computer Science | 19 |
| Environmental Studies | 17 |
| Neuroscience | 15 |
| Sociology | 13 |
| Public Health Education and Promotion | 13 |
| Statistics, Other | 12 |
| Graphic Design | 11 |
| Accounting | 11 |
| Musical Theatre | 9 |
| Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other | 9 |
| Mathematics | 9 |
| Anthropology | 8 |
| Biochemistry | 8 |
| Women's Studies | 8 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 7 |
| Recording Arts Technology/Technician | 6 |
| Chemistry | 6 |
| Physics | 6 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 6 |
| Music | 6 |
| Political Science and Government, Other | 5 |
| Statistics | 5 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 4 |
| Data Science, Other | 4 |
| Philosophy | 4 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 4 |
| Photography | 4 |
| American/United States Studies/Civilization | 3 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 2 |
| Computational Science | 2 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 2 |
| Russian Studies | 2 |
| Latin American Studies | 2 |
| Asian Studies/Civilization | 1 |
| German Studies | 1 |
| Chinese Language and Literature | 1 |
| Japanese Language and Literature | 1 |
| Arabic Language and Literature | 1 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Patriot League
Basketball, Soccer, Swimming and Diving (combined), Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Wrestling
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Patriot League
Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming and Diving (combined), Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball
ROTC
Air Force, Army
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, Newman Connection
Also
Honors college, Study abroad
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), connection.newmanministry.com · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, large
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
6,436,489 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl (DCA)
Nearest hub airport
Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl (DCA)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 13.3 of 20
Elevation
389 ft
Time zone
Eastern
January low
26°F
July high
88°F
Annual snowfall
5.8 in
Days at 90°F or higher
44 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$2,570 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- University of the District of Columbia1 mi
- Georgetown University2 mi
- Marymount University3 mi
- George Washington University3 mi
- Howard University4 mi
- Trinity Washington University5 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- Brown University7,741 students
- Georgetown University7,968 students
- Marquette University7,652 students
- Tulane University of Louisiana8,077 students
- California Baptist University8,110 students
- University of Dayton8,176 students