Chances of getting into American University
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance Rate
| Measure | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|
| Admission Standards | Very High | |
| Applicant Competition | High |
Will you get in?
Find out which students are getting accepted at AU, which are not, and how your GPA, SAT, or ACT scores compare.
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How hard is it to get into AU and can I get accepted? The school has a 36% acceptance rate ranking it #3 in District Of Columbia for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 6,691 out of 18,545 applicants were admitted making AU a highly competitive school to get into with a lesser chance of acceptance for qualifying applicants. Academically, it has very high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 19 percent. American University typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students. Only 26% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class.
AU SAT Scores
SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score
SAT Range
Applicants Submitting SAT
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 25th | 620 |
| SAT Math 25th | 590 |
| SAT Composite 25th | 1210 |
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 75th | 700 |
| SAT Math 75th | 690 |
| SAT Composite 75th | 1390 |
| Average SAT Score | 1300 |
SAT Scores you need to get in
What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to American University?
American University typically requires applicants to be in the top 23 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1210 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1120. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1300 out of 1600. The school ranks #3 in District Of Columbia for highest average SAT composite score. 52 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school.
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2019 starting classEstimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score
| SAT Score (1600 scale) | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 1390 and Above | Good | >49% |
| 1300 to 1390 | Avg + | 36%-49% |
| 1210 to 1300 | Avg - | 25%-36% |
| 1120 to 1210 | Reach | 16%-25% |
| Less than 1120 | Low | <16% |
AU ACT Scores
ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score
ACT Range
Applicants Submitting ACT
| ACT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 25th | 27 |
| ACT Math 25th | 24 |
| ACT Composite 25th | 27 |
| ACT Test | 75th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 75th | 34 |
| ACT Math 75th | 28 |
| ACT Composite 75th | 31 |
| Average ACT Score | 29 |
ACT Scores needed to get accepted
What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into AU?
Admission data indicates that AU regularly accepts students with ACT's of 27 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 15 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 25 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 29 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 31 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #3 in District Of Columbia for highest average ACT composite score. 36 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to American University.
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2019 starting classEstimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score
| ACT Score | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 31 and Above | Good | >49% |
| 29 to 31 | Avg + | 36%-49% |
| 27 to 29 | Avg - | 25%-36% |
| 25 to 27 | Reach | 16%-25% |
| Less than 25 | Low | <16% |
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AU GPA
Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA
Avg. High School GPA
Typical High School Grades
What GPA do you need to get into American University?
Applicants require very good grades in high school to get into AU. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at American University was 3.7 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #3 in District Of Columbia for highest average GPA. Even with a competitive GPA, admission to AU will be challenging as the school denies more applicants than it admits.
| High School GPA | Freshmen Within Range | Competitiveness |
|---|---|---|
| 3.75+ | 51% | Good |
| 3.50 to 3.75 | 21% | Avg - |
| 3.25 to 3.50 | 14% | Avg - |
| 3.00 to 3.25 | 10% | Reach |
| 2.75 to 3.00 | 4% | Reach |
| 2.50 to 2.75 | N/A% | Low |
| 2.25 to 2.50 | N/A% | Low |
| 2.00 to 2.25 | N/A% | Low |
*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.7 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.
Similar Requirements
High School Class Rank
78% of American University freshman were in the top twenty five percent of their high school graduating class.
| High School Class Rank | Freshmen Within Range |
|---|---|
| Top 10% of class | 47% |
| Top 25% of class | 78% |
| Top 50% of class | 96% |
| Bottom 50% of class | 4% |
| Bottom 25% of class | 0% |
Applying
Admission Statistics
| Women | Men | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | 11,951 | 6,594 | 18,545 |
| Accepted | 4,442 | 2,249 | 6,691 |
| Acceptance Rate | 37% | 34% | 36% |
| Enrolled | 1,150 | 604 | 1,754 |
| Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) | 26% | 27% | 26% |
Fall 2021 Application Deadline
Applications were Due
Days left to Apply
The application deadline for Fall 2021 has passed. Applications were due on Jan 15, 2021.
Admission Requirements
What are the requirements for admission to American University and what student information is used for admission decisions?
| Test Scores | Required |
| High School GPA | Required |
| High School Class Rank | Neither required nor recommended |
| Completion of College Preparatory Program | Required |
| Recommendations | Required |
| Demonstration of Competencies | Recommended |
Credits Accepted
| AP Credit | Yes |
| Dual Credit | Yes |
| Credit for Life Experiences | No |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=131159 IPEDS survey data for American University.
FAQs
Does American University prefer SAT or ACT?
52% of students submit their SAT scores to AU. 36% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.
What is my chance of getting into American University?
36% of those who apply are granted admission to AU. Admission competition is high and the college has very high admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.
What SAT score is required for American University?
The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1210 and 1390. 52% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.
What ACT score is required for American University?
The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 27 and 31. 36% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.