American University

American University — Washington, D.C. American University is a beautiful, well-organized, and intellectually vibrant campus located in one of the most livable areas of Washington, D.C. The architecture blends classic collegiate style with modern facilities, creating an atmosphere that feels both traditional and forward-looking. The main quad is peaceful, filled with trees and well-maintained lawns, and it’s common to see students studying outdoors when the weather is pleasant. Academically, AU stands out for its commitment to global engagement and interdisciplinary education. The professors are approachable, and many of them bring real-world policy and legal experience into the classroom. The Washington College of Law, in particular, has excellent resources for students pursuing careers in international law, business law, and technology law. The campus is also well connected to downtown D.C. via the Metro and several shuttle routes, making it convenient to attend events, internships, or professional meetings around the city. Outside academics, the environment feels inclusive and community-oriented. The student services are efficient, the library is open late, and the athletic facilities are modern and well kept. Cafeteria food is decent by university standards, and there are good coffee spots nearby. Overall, American University provides an excellent balance of academic rigor, professional opportunity, and a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for students from around the world.

American is a gem of a school tucked into a remote section of DC. It's a super safe area. If your look for a quaint school with big city resources AU is the perfect blend.

We only took the college tour so take everything with a grain of salt. We loved that AU has a traditional college layout with quad and everything even though it is still with DC. Almost all the facilities look new and well kept. They had the nicest dorm rooms as well. They had the best orientation of all the schools we've gone to so far. Molly, our guide, was great.

American University is a special place, in every iteration of the word haha. The people and teachers are unique, the education is rigorous, the campus is compact and beautiful, the facilities can be a hit or miss but are overall good, and much more. There's always something to complain about, but that's the case anywhere. I enjoyed my four years here!

This university is really beautiful.🏫 I am impressed by the beauty of this university. 🤍 The rules here are very nice.👍🏻

Went for graduation dinner, it was awesome,in the area where we were,never seen rest of school,my daughter got her doctorate on line classes, she been there around campus several times& said it nice

Beautiful open campus. A nice place to visit.

American University has the most beautiful campus in DC! It’s lovely out there. Most buildings are renovated and campus is not overwhelmingly large. AU offers tons of networking opportunities for their students as well as on campus work opportunity for both domestic and international students. Just ask! Professors in Kogod and SIS are exceptional and you can learn from them so much outside of the classroom. No matter where you come from - you will find your crowd and feel belonged to. Best four years of my life!

I got a degree from this school and it was a complete waste of time and money. I am now in debt for 30 years with student loans for a degree that is unusable. I never got a job related to my degree and the school did not do anything to help me get a job. Their Career Center is useless. I have never known anyone who got a paying job through the American University Career Center. The Professors I had were also useless. Many of them teach directly from antiquated text books. They do not teach you any technology of any kind and they never taught us any programs that you would need to know for employment purposes. You take an Economics class and they do not teach you how to use econometric software programs. Their curriculum is something out of the 1960s. This school has had several large scandals over the years with school Presidents. Google Richard Berendzen and you can read about his disgusting behavior. The school would not fire him. He was allowed to keep his job as a professor at the school. Also Google Benjamin Ladner. He was another school President.

So excited that both my kids will be attending this excellent college! The great news came today, my daughter was excepted with scholarships! Her over 105 GPA paid off ! She fell in love with this college right away. My son got excepted into the SIS program, school of international study. My daughter will major in psychology. She started school at 4 and was reading at 3.She is still unsure of her law degree she also wants to get but she has plenty of time. I'm so proud that next year I'll have two kids in the same prestigious college with tons of history.

from the beginning this university rubbed me the wrong way. my daughter loved it and I let her attend. please re think your choice. This university does not communicate with the parents. my daughter suffered trauma this summer and the university is not handling the situation at all. We lost everything and they aren't helping with any aid, they won't provide extra counseling. this school is about the money and if you don't have it, they surely won't give it. my son goes to a state school and the care he has received is above and beyond and puts AU to shame. AU does not return calls, they lie about not receiving emails. parent to parent... just say no!

With a name like The American University, it would seem fitting that it's location is Washington, DC. I had an opportunity to tour the campus with my Son who has been accepted into the Masters Program. He had applied to several schools and been accepted at Drexel in Philly but decided on AU. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on February 24, 1893 as "The American University," when the bill was approved by President Benjamin Harrison. AU was named the "most politically active school" in the nation in The Princeton Review's annual survey of college students in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Estimated at 12,000 Undergraduate & Graduate students. Part of The Patriot League, it has Division I status. A really nice campus with close proximity to public transporation and less than a mile to Tenley/AU Metro on the Red Line.

The University is a landmark in DC. I have attended several events on campus. The campus is beautiful, especially when the flowers and greenery are in bloom. The classrooms on the lower level are all clearly marked with directories and signs. There are comfy spaces to sit all around the buildings. The faculty and students are nice about giving directions if you aren't sure where you are. Metro has a stop right on campus. The garage is also available (and free on Sundays). It is worth taking a look at the web site or face book page. There are events scheduled throughout the year.

I went to tour this school on a dreary Saturday. BIG MISTAKE. My tour Gide was rude, unhelpful, and honestly made me feel super unwelcome. The presentation part went on for over an hour, and after I was greeted with a terrible campus filled with miserable students. Never come here.

I have worked with three graduates from this University in the last year. Two with international studies degrees and one with an advanced degree in environmental studies. These poor graduates are simply lost in business. Their education gave then no insight into the need for private business to be profitable. They have knowledge, but no concept of how to take the knowledge and apply it in a cost effective manner. No concepts of budgets, no concepts of time management, and no concept of practical application. Ethics and fiduciary duty are also lacking in my opinion. I have found purposeful errors of omission in research from graduates, and one person simply edited a fact sheet provided by another industry to fit his personal agenda. When confronted with the complete unedited worksheet, this person claimed that they simply removed data that they "did not BELEIVE was accurate", but could provide no basis for the belief ! If you are hiring an AU grad or working with one, be sure to closely observe their work. I'm sure there are many good grads from this school, but the guidance provided from professors seem to be lacking.

Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle... AU is my alma mater - and even though there were tons of things about the school that drove me nuts, I really loved my 4 years here. Here's what makes AU great: 1) the students. OK, so I don't really talk to anyone from school any more because by senior year I was so over the pretension and just was ready to be done - but really the students are great. And the line they're feeding the alums is that the kids get smarter every year. 2) the profs and staff. Well, I still talk to some of them. Most of them professors are experienced in the field in a useful way - either currently practicing or recently. Lots of adjuncts who seem like they don't have time to deal with you, but are often friendly enough to make time to help. Also glad that we finally named Kerwin the president, he deserved it. The rest of the staff and leadership seemed to really make an effort - or at least if you asked they did. Special shout outs to: David Owens, Faith Leonard, and the financial aid people - they made sure I could stay at AU and found me the money for it - plus they were just always great support. 3) the campus. Yes, unlike GW we have a campus. A beautiful one. And yes, unlike GU it's near a metro. 4) KPU and all the other student groups. KPU gets a special shout otu because they always had the best speakers - but really all of the student groups always had something going on good lord. 5) AU Athletics. OK, these folks are delusional and keep trying to build school spirit...lots of love for trying I'll have to revisit this review monthly - for the rest of my life - wheen I'm paying off my over priced degree. But I know it was worth it.

I earned my master's degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) at American in 2010. Academically, the MA IPCR program fails in one major respect: it does not incorporate any appreciable amount of practical training in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Students generally pursue advanced degrees to prepare them to practice in a specific field. The IPCR program at AU pledges to blend theory and practice, but it is 95% theory. It promises both academic and professional training, yet I and my peers left feeling unprepared to mediate, negotiate, or transform the types of conflicts we read so much about. If you are interested in becoming an ADR practitioner, you will need more than just an MA in IPCR from American University. Minimally, you'll need to supplement the core curriculum with AU's "Skills Institutes" (many of which can be taken for IPCR credit) or extracurricular activities. The fact that opportunities for ADR practice exist at AU is excellent; that they are not part of the core curriculum is disappointing. Perhaps in an attempt to address this, the MA IPCR program incorporates an optional internship, and most students elect to take it. However, the internship program doesn't solve the problem. Many students are working as well as attending school. Few (if any) are going to take leave from their paying jobs to pursue a three-month--typically unpaid--internship. Most in this situation attempt to incorporate the internship into their current jobs--perhaps by taking on a special project at work. The result is these students pay AU for internship credit while continuing to work at their current jobs. As for the students I spoke with who were not employed and took an internship, they didn't end up practicing ADR in their work as an intern. This is no surprise--internships are (understandably) often office work, not intense involvement in the business' practice. Those things being said, the IPCR classroom experience was generally good. We covered basic IR theory and thoroughly surveyed the field of peace and conflict resolution. Work hard and you'll come away with a solid understanding of this fascinating field. My final research paper advisor was superb. I learned a lot about research and writing thanks to my professors at AU. My graduate academic advisor was also fantastic. She helped me cut through a ton of hassle on many occasions. She was always willing to sit down and chat about my progress and plans. At the AU Career Center, my best experience was taking the MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory, then sitting down with a counselor and reviewing my results. I feel good about the level of care and concern for students at the Career Center. My peers were a hard-working and diverse group. The chance to interact with international students is above average at American. Visit AU and engage current students in conversation to get the most complete picture. Don't blindly believe the marketing on the website, the persuasion of the recruiting crew, or even this review. The MA IPCR program at AU has a lot to offer, but it might not have every important component you are seeking.

This is for the health center/career center and perhaps could be used to understand how the administration treats the student body, but maybe not all are like this: I came in really sick for an appointment. I had to wait at least 30 mins past my appointment time. I remarked to the medical lady that saw me that I was unhappy that I had to wait so long. She got weird and aggressive and basically threw a prescription for antibiotics at me after asking only a few questions. Later I got an email from the guy that runs it asking for an apology for my behavior. What? I'm not allowed to remark upon my service? I might be a student but I'm still paying for this. Another time at the career center, I asked for advice about quitting my internship because of my school workload and a more flexible position had opened up. The old lady told me I was going to be blacklisted in DC since it was a politically oriented organization and ruin my future in the city. Needless to say I had a panic attack, and she pointed me to the mental health center and showed me out without taking the survey one usually completes. I quit my internship later in the week and left on the most amiable of terms (and no longer stressed). After this demeaning and unprofessional event, I haven't been back. In sum: the administration is poorly trained but has a lot of power.

"Hear my soul speak. The very instant that I saw you did/ My heart fly to your service." The Bard's eloquence rang true for me when I first gazed on this extraordinary campus, the heart of scholarly enterprise: it truly was love at first sight. My Dad, a retired NASA aerospace scientist, was invited to a conference here: "The Push of Science and Technology, The Pull of Cultural Diversity and Human Values". I happily accompanied him, not realizing it would change my destiny - both academically and professionally! As a remembrance of that epiphany, I have even treasured my name tag from that memorable day. The nearby residential neighborhood helps foster an intimacy and cohesiveness at this campus that is inviting but should not be deceiving as American U. does offer vast scholarly resources (you have access to a slew of nearby university libraries through the consortium), and extraordinary cultural resources. AU promotes cultural understanding, and the same facility was available for students of all religions as a place of worship. As a student, you are one of the many colorful threads that have become part of the fabric of this great university. You do indeed feel a sense of belonging here. AU is my alma mater, and I was delighted to return as a member of the faculty at the Department of Literature (College Writing Program). Prof. John Hyman, the director of this program, always went above and beyond for both students and faculty. Can the Garden of Eden possibly exist here, in our realm? At AU, it did for me, though I was too happily engaged in my studies to think about finding my Adam. Oh, American U. might even be better than Paradise: no serpents here, just a rich intellectual environment at a lovely campus that inspires students and faculty alike. AU, I will always love you!

I had the worst experience with AU. The VA and collections offices were practically incompetent. It would be weeks if they bothered to responded to emails or messages and when they did they were rude. I was disappointed in the school experience as well. Professors were knowledgeable but very obviously biased. It was hard to have a different opinion and it often felt like a witch hunt if you spoke out. I felt like a lot of students went to AU to have their own opinions comfortably confirmed but not to be challenged. For a university in DC I was looking forward to more political variety as I fall right in the middle of the political spectrum. It's safe to say I did not stay at that school longer than a year. Save the MASS amounts of money you will spend going here. I regret that $36,000 loan more than anything. The school was NOT worth the debt.

SIS Graduate in 2010. This is a gorgeous school. They have done so many beautiful renovations. I considered all area universities and this was the best! In the school of international service I was there at a time when counselor overturn was high. The special gem that remains is Julie Wickham who is an absolute help who I wish I had stuck with through my five years at AU. Most of the professors are extremely helpful. Even the hard core ones seem to be mean for your purpose. I wish I had taken better advantage of the opportunities afforded at AU. The plethora of study abroad opportunities are uncomparable. How I managed to go to AU and not study abroad is a mystery to me. Well... I was young and sleep so I got caught up in social life... Even still I know AU made the difference and continues to make a difference in my life.

The university and campus just keep getting better! I graduated from AU in 2005 (BA) and 2007 (MPA) and am active on campus as an alumni. I just love how each year my degree is worth more because of the continual improvements being made, such as the green SIS building and new programs being added all the time. If a college education is intended to be an investment, American is one that continues appreciate in value for years to come!

This review is for transcript requests from the Registar's office: I will preface this by saying that I didn't graduate from AU and other than a handful of the friends I made, my experiece dealing with administration at AU wasn't the most pleasant experience. I recently applied to a few universities for the Fall term and had to request transcripts from AU's registar's office. I first requested them in March. I expected that they wouldn't be sent right away. OK I get it they get several requests. I figured it could take a few weeks, if someone is on vacation or they are just swamped. I didn't expect that it would take over 3 months! and of course it wasn't sent until after I called and pestered them about it after sending several email requests for the status. Ok I guess one can slip through the cracks. I can't believe that they would ignore a transcript request not once but twice. They have deadlines for applications they must understand that there are deadlines for other universities' applications. What else do they do in the registar's office but send and receive transcripts?

The campus is very organized and together. You don't have to walk for a while from one building to another. The class size is nice. It is about smaller than an elementary class. I believe it is very safe from how you have to scan into ur building and for the stairs and elevators.

What a lovely campus and Dave Detwiler and the Commencement band are amazing and funny!! It was a great joy to get to meet with them and hear how valuable live music is at commencement ceremonies. #naacoConf #naaco

As an undergraduate student, I had great spey from professors, advisors and on campus employers. It's always been a forward thinking institution, and after more than 20 years as an alum, I am grateful for the care they place on alumni events and services. Favorite professors: Dr. Ross, professor Ed Smith. Great advisor, Athena, in SPA. The campus improvements, like the new residence hall neat McDowell & Katz Center, are awesome.

The location of the school is major advantage! Being located in DC, if you're into Politics (if the past eight years didn't turn you off, lol) AU can be your springboard! The professors are sometimes inundated with obligations from the "K street" part of their life. This is where you'll get to brush up on those skills needed in DC, elbowing your way to talk to them. In general, I do have to say though that the professors made themselves available throughout the semester, with walk-in hours. Kudos to them especially considering some of the high-powered jobs that some of them hold. The great thing about the campus is the diversity of the students, you can really get to know all the 50 states and beyond! The School of International Service offers lots of different approaches to combining a hands on experience in global welfare with those ideals that we learn in class.

For the love of everything dear in life.... DO NOT APPLY FOR STUDENT HOUSING at AU. Id rather live in an abortion clinics trash can. As a law student interning at AU, I wanted something close to the metro since I get of work late. Sadly, the proximity was the only thing I got from AU's housing. Apparently, the carpets have NEVER been washed or vacuumed. The room smells like a men's locker room in 140 degree weather where socks and dirty underwear have accumulated for 12 years allowing fungus and puss to collected all around you so that you suffocate in your sleep from the bacteria trying to escape the toxic fumes of disgusting which overpower any chance of polluted air to pass through. Thank you AU for such wonderful accommodations and being so UN-willing to fix the situation... I never thought diarrhea and vomit could smell better than dorm rooms... Oh and if you were wondering... Yes the blissful stench does attach to your work clothes.

CAS graduate 2011, love the campus, the classes, the food, everything. Beautiful part of DC. Wonderful four years.

American University is a bureaucratic nightmare. Staff are not careful about making sure paper work is properly done or if staff members have left the university. You are usually they last to know as a student. They are also very stringy about money. While many of the professors are great and are world renowned in their field. A lot of the administrative staff does not care, complacent, or hands are tie.The President is barely visible. The students in the grad schools are very focus and discipline but the undergrads are very privilege, uninformed, and some are down right racists. There have been several incidents against Muslim students and black students. The law schools is ranked under 20 and has experienced a decline in enrollment, yet they are building a costly new building. While other buildings are out of date and smell. It is not a terrible school but there is room for a lot improvement. The Career Center is for the most par great. Overall, do not make this school part of your top anything unless they are highly ranked for something, like the School of Public Affairs. You are better off somewhere else that will give you great training at a better price.

I graduated from AU in 1993. I chose AU because of its campus and strong business and communications program. I figured I'd get hit by a car running to classes if I went to GW.... Well, I guess I decreased the chances of that happening, but I did get hit (more like tapped) by a car once when crossing from AU's commuter parking lot to the main campus. Ah well. I had some great professors in the business school (my major) and in the Communications school (my minor), and a few of these teachers are still there. I had a lot of fun in the student run radio station. I had a few electives in their art school which was also pretty strong. All in all - a good experience. I noticed most employers respect AU and like to see it on my resume.

I graduated from American University over 20 years ago and I never got a job related to my degree and I have never had a career of any kind. I applied to thousands of jobs over the last 20 years and not one resulted in an interview as a result of graduating from American University. And the interviews I did get, no one ever said to me that they called me in for an interview because I went to American University. The employers were basically just looking for bodies to fill constant vacancies and were not looking to hire me because I went to American University. I tried using the Career Center over the years only to discover that a lot of the jobs in the American University Career Center are for entry-level nonprofits in the Washington, DC area that do not pay a salary you can really live off of. I did not see any positions in the Career Center that said the starting salary was $75,000 or more. There are garbagemen who make more than $75,000 a year and the job does not require a college degree. When I looked up the jobs that some of the people I graduated with have, they are just regular jobs that you could get with a degree from pretty much any school and I am not even sure that some of those jobs require a college degree. Some of them even had sales jobs for companies I never even heard of. I did not personally see any of the professors I had at American University do anything for students to help them find a job. In my opinion, I don't think the vast majority of the professors at American University have any contacts in the private or public sector to help any of the students get jobs after graduating or even to help students get paying internships. Anyone can get an unpaid internship in the DC area. Who doesn't want free labor? And honestly, I think that if American University was really looking out for their students they wouldn't allow anyone to use the students as a source for free labor. These are things to consider before spending approximately $50,000 a year / $200,000 for a Bachelor's degree. If you have $200,000 in student loans, you are looking at paying at least $1,000 a month for the next 30 years. How on earth are you going to buy a house or a new car or have money for anything if you are paying at least $1,000 a month for 30 years on your student loans? Especially when the jobs I have seen in the American University Career Center do not even pay $75,000 a year to start. You do not have to listen to anything I just wrote. You can ignore it and enroll in American University and find out what will happen to you.

AU is a wonderful school that keeps increasing in status. I'm a student here and it's wonderful. I can't suggest it enough. It's in a quiet, low crime area of DC. Easy access to the DC metro via the AU shuttle. The teachers are nice and are professionals in their area and many time even currently hold jobs in the area. All sport teams are division one and are fantastic to watch. If looking at AU take it from an AU student and seriously consider it.

Great school, great reputation, SOME good professors, overpriced housing, and terrible food service. This about sums up my current experience at AU. Try not to live on-campus or off-campus housing. It is terribly overpriced but not the end of the world. The food service is just awful. Let's start off with the Terrace Dining Room(TDR). Silver wear seems to not have been washed correctly, plates and cups seem to not have been washed in years( just take a white t-shirt, rub the inside of the cups slightly and you'll see the brown disgustingness that I mean) and the workers are the rudest, most unprofessional people you will ever meet. Other than that it's a great school! Very comfortable environment in the suburbs of DC!

As a current student in a Master's program, I love this university! It is very laid back, and easy going with events always going on for students, faculty, and staff! The teachers I have had the opportunity to study under were very supportive, caring, and were willing to work with me. Also! Eaglebucks? Awesome. They come in handy. The buses that pick AU students and visitors up in front of the metro station is a life saver! Though, campus is only a 15 minute walk from the Tenlytown Metro.

Not a student, but came here as a volunteer for a youth Baptist leadership conference called Immerse 2012. The campus was pretty much empty since it was summer, but everything we needed, we had access to. The facilities are all beautiful and very functional. By the time the kids left they felt like they actually had a college experience and it was all made possible by this University.

Professors are well-experienced and deserve all the credit for making this a class A institution.

A degree from this school has not improved my circumstances in life. I was poor before attending American University and I am still poor after graduating from American University. I graduated years ago and I have not had one good permanent job since graduating from this school. The professors and the career center do not know anyone to help you get a good job in the public or private sector. What's the point of going to this school if the school cannot get you a good job after you graduate? They do not even attempt to help you find a job and they wonder why their enrollment is down. I make the same kind of money that people with only a high school diploma make. In some cases, people I know with only a high school diploma make more money than me even though I graduated from American University. This school was a COMPLETE waste of time and money. You have been warned.

As an alumni, I think that this school is waste of money. I ended up transferring to The University of Pittsburgh where I earned my Bachelor's degree. While some professors were good, the administration evicted me from my dormatory, because I spent ten days in the hospital, while classes were out of session. Furthermore, they accused me of engaging in "ritualistic behavior," because they found a crucifix in my room. The administration and the housing department claimed that they wouldn't discuss my case due to privacy laws. While attending the school I had a B+ average. I think that the administration are cowards for evicting me. Furthermore, I hadn't broken any rules of my housing contract. The American University showed me no respect as a student.