Paying for American
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$58,771
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$36,754
On-campus Living Costs
$19,600
Off-campus Living Costs
$22,602
Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$1,930
Graduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$2,095
The 2025 tuition & fees of American University are $58,771 for undergraduate programs. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $58,771 for graduate programs.
Compared to Private (not-for-profit), 4-Years Colleges in District of Columbia, the undergraduate tuition & fees are very expensive and the graduate tuition & fees are average.
Compared to similar schools in rankings such as Boston College and Tulane University of Louisiana, tuition & fees of American University is average where the average tuition & fees of the schools are $64,556.
The average living cost of the school is $19,600 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $22,602.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the American's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at American University are $58,771 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 3.94% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $36,754 on average. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 10.57% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Fees | Tuition | Fees | |
| 2021 | $50,542 | $819 | $50,542 | $819 |
| 2022 | $50,542 | $792 | $50,542 | $792 |
| 2023 | $53,070 | $819 | $53,070 | $819 |
| 2024 | $55,724 | $819 | $55,724 | $819 |
| 2025 | $57,952 | $819 | $57,952 | $819 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $19,600 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $22,602.
The living cost at the school has increased by 5.20% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2021 | $16,196 | $1,009 | $16,129 | $1,009 |
| 2022 | $15,150 | $1,228 | $15,150 | $1,228 |
| 2023 | $15,706 | $1,308 | $15,706 | $1,308 |
| 2024 | $17,012 | $1,620 | $14,712 | $2,404 |
| 2025 | $17,982 | $1,618 | $19,336 | $3,266 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,000 at American University. The books & supplies cost stays same as last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $800 |
| 2022 | $800 |
| 2023 | $800 |
| 2024 | $1,000 |
| 2025 | $1,000 |
Tuition Per Credit Hour
The 2025 undergraduate tuition per credit hour at American University is $1,930 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 3.99% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition per credit hour is $2,095 on average. The graduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 0.87% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition per credit hour and its trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,684 | $1,906 |
| 2022 | $1,684 | $1,922 |
| 2023 | $1,768 | $1,971 |
| 2024 | $1,856 | $2,077 |
| 2025 | $1,930 | $2,095 |