10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$71,792at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
American University
Washington, DC · 59 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 55 · Federal debt reported for 28
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$71,792 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
12.6 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−21%Estimated return after 10 years
$72,598Observed earnings · year 5
$23,995Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $17,948 per year to reach it.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $19,336 housing and food allowance plus $3,266 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$95,980
$12,000Annual price+$47,980
$24,000Annual price−$20
$36,000Annual price−$48,020
$42,000Current college-wide context−$72,020
$48,000Annual price−$96,020
$60,000Annual price−$144,020
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
524 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in District of Columbia run 10% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$41,943Average net price / year
$76,058Cost of attendance
$22,750Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$241/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$72,598Median earnings · year 5 after completion
75.5%Completion rate
62.0%Admission rate
1,381Average SAT score
31ACT midpoint
7,266Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about American University
What does American University cost?
American University reports an average annual net price of $41,943 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do American University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $72,598 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do American University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $22,750. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at American University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 59 field-and-degree records for American University; 55 report year-4 earnings and 28 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
14,407Students enrolled at any point
8,674Undergraduate students
5,733Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
76% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
807 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
69% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$76,415Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$75,037Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$79,088Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income70%
Middle income76%
Higher income83%
Undergraduate student composition
White56%
Black8%
Hispanic14%
Asian7%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$50,329Year 1
$79,081Year 4
$72,598Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$134,3322Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Master's Degree$127,3563Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$127,2694Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$119,0205Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$117,2936Accounting and Related Services · Master's Degree$112,3847Law · First Professional Degree$109,5238Public Administration · Master's Degree$107,866Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · $75,461 reported+68%vs same-degree national median$20,980federal debt2Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's Degree · $134,332 reported+61%vs same-degree national median$22,625federal debt3Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $119,020 reported+56%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $69,517 reported+54%vs same-degree national median$24,250federal debt5Film/Video and Photographic ArtsMaster's Degree · $76,808 reported+49%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchMaster's Degree · $104,878 reported+41%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in DC
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Washington, DC
The Catholic University of America
- Annual net price
- $29,561
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $73,531
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -4%
Howard University
- Annual net price
- $50,539
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,373
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -49%
George Washington University
- Annual net price
- $36,586
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $91,442
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +42%
Georgetown University
- Annual net price
- $40,815
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $101,620
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +65%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 59 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $134,332 | $22,625 | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $127,356 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $127,269 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $119,020 | Not available | 3 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $117,293 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $112,384 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $109,523 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $107,866 | Not available | Not reported |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Master's Degree | $104,878 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Master's Degree | $103,169 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's Degree | $98,588 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Master's Degree | $98,567 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Master's Degree | $97,932 | Not available | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Master's Degree | $97,808 | Not available | Not reported |
| Homeland Security | Master's Degree | $96,954 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | Master's Degree | $96,768 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Master's Degree | $94,424 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $93,310 | Not available | Not reported |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | Master's Degree | $89,800 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Master's Degree | $89,015 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $88,359 | $24,697 | 9 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $85,016 | $22,625 | 3 |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $83,880 | Not available | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Master's Degree | $82,273 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $81,004 | $23,250 | 239 |
| International and Comparative Education | Master's Degree | $79,464 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $78,410 | $26,442 | Not reported |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Master's Degree | $76,808 | Not available | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $76,552 | $23,000 | Not reported |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $75,461 | $20,980 | 1 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | Master's Degree | $74,598 | Not available | Not reported |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | Master's Degree | $74,573 | Not available | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $73,865 | $23,250 | 23 |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $73,628 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $73,604 | $23,250 | 0 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $72,792 | $24,375 | Not reported |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $70,831 | $23,452 | Not reported |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $69,517 | $24,250 | Not reported |
| History | Master's Degree | $68,296 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $67,863 | $22,611 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every American University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.