American University Rankings by Salary Score™
Bachelor's
Master's
Salary and Debt by Major at American University
We calculated a Salary Score for each of American University's programs by comparing program-specific median alumni earnings to median alumni earnings for the same program across all schools that provide this data. This way, students can compare the relative salary strength of a specific major at American University to the same major at other schools. A school's overall score by level is based on the school's by-program performance weighted by student enrollment in each program. Data is sourced from the December 2020 release of the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and reflects median alumni debt upon graduation and median alumni earnings in the year after graduation for students who received federal financial aid. Debt and salary numbers are shown rounded to the nearest $10.
Salary Score ™ for AU Bachelor's Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area Studies | $26,000 | $39,650 | |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | $23,250 | $30,410 | |
| Biology, General | $23,250 | $32,710 | |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $23,250 | $53,200 | |
| Communication and Media Studies | $26,000 | $44,930 | |
| Computer Science | $26,640 | $73,320 | |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $25,000 | $37,750 | |
| Design and Applied Arts | Not Reported | $42,680 | |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not Reported | $20,140 | |
| Economics | $23,880 | $47,650 | |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not Reported | $36,130 | |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $23,050 | $33,460 | |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $25,000 | $62,150 | |
| History | $26,800 | $38,290 | |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $23,250 | $43,040 | |
| Journalism | $25,000 | $39,370 | |
| Literature | $26,000 | $39,370 | |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $24,190 | $44,060 | |
| Music | Not Reported | $29,690 | |
| Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) | $26,000 | $50,610 | |
| Political Science and Government | $22,250 | $47,260 | |
| Psychology, General | $25,000 | $34,700 | |
| Public Health | $25,000 | $36,990 | |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $25,770 | $48,730 | |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not Reported | $42,680 | |
| Sociology | $23,500 | $39,370 | |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $26,800 | $51,690 |
Salary Score ™ for AU Master's Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | Not Reported | $64,490 | |
| Area Studies | Not Reported | $39,370 | |
| Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management | Not Reported | $47,650 | |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $85,000 | $89,130 | |
| Communication and Media Studies | $51,250 | $62,480 | |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | Not Reported | $61,520 | |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Not Reported | $61,680 | |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Not Reported | $70,010 | |
| Economics | $51,250 | $80,960 | |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | $33,940 | $65,330 | |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $63,340 | $48,820 | |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Not Reported | $81,660 | |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $41,000 | $30,410 | |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $51,250 | $52,110 | |
| History | $51,250 | $47,260 | |
| Homeland Security | $41,000 | $57,320 | |
| International and Comparative Education | $49,600 | $52,610 | |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $70,560 | $61,950 | |
| Journalism | $56,100 | $47,260 | |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $64,660 | $58,000 | |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $41,000 | $82,880 | |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not Reported | $57,320 | |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | $61,550 | $55,000 | |
| Philosophy | $56,580 | $44,930 | |
| Political Science and Government | Not Reported | $50,470 | |
| Public Administration | $60,490 | $72,710 | |
| Public Health | Not Reported | $57,320 | |
| Public Policy Analysis | $61,500 | $59,490 | |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $53,000 | $51,270 | |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Not Reported | $52,110 | |
| Special Education and Teaching | $42,000 | $58,220 | |
| Statistics | Not Reported | $79,470 | |
| Taxation | Not Reported | $110,880 | |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $51,250 | $58,870 |
Salary Score ™ for AU Doctoral Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | Not Reported | $53,360 | |
| Law | $178,000 | $65,830 |
Reviews by Program
Most Recent Reviews
I started attending American University online during the worst of COVID back in 2020. I was struggling to find a job with my Bachelors in English, and a friend of mine told me about AU. I'm very glad she did, as it's helped me find my dream job, even if my educational journey has not necessarily been easy. The best and worst parts of AU are the classes in my opinion. When you have a good professor, everything clicks and it can seriously help you with your job. When you get a bad professor, it is an endurance... Read More
The only reason this school ranks so high is it's proximity to the federal job market. The professors here are horrendously unorganized, you get few skills seriously needed in the workplace, and their reaction to the pandemic demonstrated how little they care about student and faculty safety when compared to their bottom line. This is one of the most expensive public service schools in the country and all you are really paying for is terrible experience just to say you went here.