{ "id": "ep0pf9k61e", "slug": "american-university", "title": "American University", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.education", "label": "Education and knowledge institutions", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.education" }, { "id": "society.education.higher", "label": "Higher education", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.education.higher" }, { "id": "society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas", "label": "Universities and colleges in the Americas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas" }, { "id": "society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas.universities-in-the-northeastern-united", "label": "Universities in the Northeastern United States", "api_url": 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States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas.universities-in-the-northeastern-united" } ] }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas.universities-in-the-northeastern-united", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Universities in the Northeastern United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas.universities-in-the-northeastern-united", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.education", "label": "Education and knowledge institutions", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.education" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher", "label": "Higher education", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas", "label": "Universities and colleges in the Americas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas.universities-in-the-northeastern-united", "label": "Universities in the Northeastern United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas.universities-in-the-northeastern-united" } ] } ], "excerpt": "American University, also known as AU, is a private research university in Washington, DC, chartered by Congress in 1893 and dedicated by Woodrow Wilson in 1914.", "snippet": "American University, also known as AU, is a private research university in Washington, DC, chartered by Congress in 1893 and dedicated by Woodrow Wilson in 1914.", "node": "society.education.higher.he.institutions.americas.universities-in-the-northeastern-united.universities-in-maryland-and-d-c", "markdown": "# American University\n\n**American University** (AU) is a private, Methodist-affiliated research university in Washington, DC, chartered by Congress in 1893 to train public servants for the future. It was founded by John Fletcher Hurst, a Methodist bishop, as an answer to [George Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-washington)'s earlier call for a \"national university\" in the nation's capital, and it opened in 1914 with a dedication by President Woodrow Wilson.[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm) • [2](https://american.edu/about/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Chartered | By Congress on February 24, 1893 (27 Stat. 476), as a Methodist-affiliated institution[3](https://american.edu/trustees/charter.cfm) • [2](https://american.edu/about/) |\n| Opened | 1914, with a dedication address by President Woodrow Wilson on May 27, 1914[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm) |\n| Carnegie Classification | R1: Doctoral Universities, very high research spending and doctorate production[4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm) |\n| Enrollment (Fall 2025) | 11,321 total: 6,752 undergraduate, 3,155 graduate, 1,414 law[4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm) |\n| Academic programs | 312 total, including 83 bachelor's, 89 master's, 12 doctorate, and 1 Juris Doctor[4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm) |\n| Student-faculty ratio | 10:1 (excluding the Washington College of Law and OGPS)[4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm) |\n| Student outcomes | 1-year retention 87.3% (Fall 2024 cohort); 4-year graduation rate 71.9%; 6-year rate 75.5%[4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm) |\n| Main campus | 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016[5](https://american.edu/about/visiting-campus.cfm) |\n\n## History\n\nThe land Bishop Hurst chose sat on the rural fringe of the capital, on high ground where [Abraham Lincoln](https://www.edgepedia.org/abraham-lincoln) had once visited troops at Fort Gaines. Presidential involvement marked the university's early decades: [Theodore Roosevelt](https://www.edgepedia.org/theodore-roosevelt) laid the cornerstone of the McKinley Building in 1902, and Wilson delivered the dedication when the Methodist-affiliated university opened in 1914.[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm)\n\n**Early inclusiveness.** The first 28 students included five women, before women could vote in the United States, and an African American student won a fellowship in 1915 to pursue a doctorate. By 1949, while Washington remained segregated, the AU community included more than 400 African American students.[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm)\n\nUndergraduates were first admitted in 1925, by which time graduate students had moved to a downtown campus on F Street near the White House. There in 1934, at the start of the [New Deal](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-deal), AU launched a program to train federal employees in new methods of public administration; President Franklin Roosevelt spoke at its launch, and the program evolved into today's School of Public Affairs.[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm)\n\n**Wars and postwar growth.** During World War I the largely undeveloped campus was turned over briefly to the War Department as a military camp and testing site, and during World War II students shared the campus with the Navy for research and training. The Washington Semester Program, founded in 1947, drew students from around the country and eventually the world for semester internships in the capital. In 1949 the Washington College of Law, founded for women in 1896, merged with AU.[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm)\n\nThe 1950s brought expansion: the business program launched in 1924 became a separate school in 1955, now the Kogod School of Business, and President Dwight Eisenhower broke ground for the School of International Service in 1957. On June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy used AU's commencement to deliver the foreign policy speech known as \"A Strategy of Peace,\" calling on the Soviet Union to work with the United States on a nuclear test ban treaty. During the [Vietnam War](https://www.edgepedia.org/vietnam-war), AU students blocked the cars of Washington policy makers commuting past the campus and hosted protesters from around the country. The School of Communication was established in 1984, growing out of journalism courses first offered in the 1920s.[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm)\n\n**A new century.** The 296-seat Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre opened in 2003 and the Katzen Arts Center in 2005; the Katzen's 130,000 square feet include a 30,000-square-foot art museum, the Washington area's largest university facility for exhibiting art. In 2007 Neil Kerwin, a 1971 AU graduate, became the first alumnus to serve as the university's president.[1](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm)\n\n## Campus and location\n\nThe main campus sits at 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW in upper Northwest Washington, near Ward Circle and the Katzen Arts Center. A second location, the Tenley Campus, houses the Washington College of Law. The university describes its setting as suburban within an urban location, and the surrounding Tenleytown corridor along Wisconsin Avenue provides grocery stores, pharmacies, and dining within walking distance of the Tenleytown Metro station.[5](https://american.edu/about/visiting-campus.cfm) • [4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm)\n\nThe campus is tied into the Red Line corridor and served by a university shuttle, and AU operates environmentally certified buildings, including the LEED Gold-certized School of International Service building.[5](https://american.edu/about/visiting-campus.cfm)\n\n## Academics and enrollment\n\nAU offers 312 academic programs across bachelor's, master's, doctoral, certificate, and law degrees, with 222 programs delivered in person and 31 online. Average class size is 21 for undergraduates and 15 for graduate courses, and 85 percent of course sections meet in person. Fall 2025 enrollment totaled 11,321 students, of whom 6,752 were undergraduates; the university employed 906 full-time and 731 part-time or adjunct faculty. In the 2024-25 academic year, 4,121 students graduated and 4,433 degrees were awarded.[4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm)\n\nThe university's schools and colleges include the College of Arts & Sciences, the Kogod School of Business, the School of Communication, the School of Education, the School of International Service, the School of Public Affairs, and the Washington College of Law.[6](https://american.edu/research/)\n\n## Research\n\nIn the [Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education](https://www.edgepedia.org/carnegie-classification-of-institutions-of-higher-education), AU holds R1 status, the category for doctoral universities with very high research spending and doctorate production.[4](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm) The university's Office of Research runs a Signature Research Initiative supporting interdisciplinary projects aligned with the NSF-funded Translating Research into Action Center, and research centers include the Center for Media & Social Impact in the School of Communication and the Accountability Research Center in the School of International Service.[6](https://american.edu/research/) • [7](https://www.american.edu/research/upload/american-university-centers-and-institutes.pdf)\n\n## Recent developments\n\nOn January 26, 2026, AU launched its five-year strategic plan, *Meet Our Moment: American University's Pledge to Our Students and Our World*, under President Jon Alger. Built on three pillars of Readiness, Community, and [Curiosity](https://www.edgepedia.org/curiosity), the plan pledges every undergraduate access to a $4,500 resource for a funded internship or research experience beginning in sophomore year, guaranteed access to a study abroad or global learning opportunity, a new core curriculum, [AI literacy](https://www.edgepedia.org/ai-literacy) for all students, and integration of Washington, DC-based opportunities into all academic programs. In developing the plan, input came from a listening tour, eight community working groups, and over 600 students, faculty, staff, and alumni who took part in working sessions across the fall 2025 semester.[8](https://www.american.edu/news/poised-to-meet-our-moment.cfm) • [9](https://www.american.edu/about/strategic-plan/pledges.cfm)\n\nLike much of American higher education, AU has faced enrollment and budget pressure in recent years. The university reported fall undergraduate and graduate enrollment below budget targets in October 2025 and adopted cost-saving measures, while its Fall 2026 enrollment outcomes improved over the prior year, including the second-largest class ever for the School of Public Affairs.[10](https://auwebsite.azureedge.net/finance/memos/recapping-the-community-forums.cfm) • [11](https://www-cdn.american.edu/president/announcements/september-17-2026.cfm)\n\n## References\n\n1. [History & Timeline, American University](https://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm)\n2. [About American University](https://american.edu/about/)\n3. [Charter: American University Act of Incorporation](https://american.edu/trustees/charter.cfm)\n4. [American University Fast Facts (Text Version) 2025-2026, Office of Institutional Research & Assessment](https://www.american.edu/provost/oira/fast-facts-text-version.cfm)\n5. [Visiting Campus, American University](https://american.edu/about/visiting-campus.cfm)\n6. [Research at American University](https://american.edu/research/)\n7. [American University Centers and Institutes](https://www.american.edu/research/upload/american-university-centers-and-institutes.pdf)\n8. [Poised to Meet Our Moment, American University News, January 27, 2026](https://www.american.edu/news/poised-to-meet-our-moment.cfm)\n9. [Our Aspiration and Our Pledges, American University Strategic Plan](https://www.american.edu/about/strategic-plan/pledges.cfm)\n10. [Recapping the Community Forums, Office of the CFO, October 9, 2025](https://auwebsite.azureedge.net/finance/memos/recapping-the-community-forums.cfm)\n11. [AU leadership updates, Office of the President, September 17, 2026](https://www-cdn.american.edu/president/announcements/september-17-2026.cfm)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Education and knowledge institutions › Higher education › Universities and colleges in the Americas › Universities in the Northeastern United States › Universities in Maryland and D.C.*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"American University\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[American University](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"American University\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "American University, also known as AU, is a private research university in Washington, DC, chartered by Congress in 1893 and dedicated by Woodrow Wilson in 1914." }