American University acceptance rate and admissions statistics
American University admitted 13,741 of 20,960 first-year applicants in its 2025-26 Common Data Set, an official acceptance rate of 65.6%. Every number below comes from the college’s own Common Data Set, each year linked to its document; a figure the college leaves blank says “Not published”, and the notes at the foot of the page say where a total is the sum of rows the college printed.
What did admitted applicants have? How to get into American University counts the grades, scores and activities they posted.
American University acceptance rate by year
| CDS year | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 20,960 | 13,741 | 65.6% | 1,545 | 11.2% |
Acceptance rate is admitted divided by applied; yield is enrolled divided by admitted. Both are computed by Aristo Scholars from the two counts printed beside them.
Early decision at American University
| CDS year | ED applicants | ED admitted | ED admit rate | Overall rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 392 | 316 | 80.6% | 65.6% |
American University waitlist
| CDS year | Offered a place | Accepted a place | Admitted from it | Admitted, of those who accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 4,928 | 1,785 | 1,182 | 66.2% |
American University SAT and ACT scores
| CDS year | SAT 25th to 75th | ACT 25th to 75th | Submitted an SAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1320 to 1440 | 30 to 33 | 15.9% |
What American University says matters in admission
In section C7 each college rates its own admission factors as Very Important, Important, Considered or Not Considered. These are the factors American University rated in the top two tiers.
- 2025-26
- Very important: Rigor of secondary school record, Academic GPA, Level of applicant's interest
- Important: Application essay, Recommendations, Extracurricular activities, Talent/ability, Character/personal qualities, Volunteer work
American University testing policy for students applying in 2026-27
Test optional: applicants may self-report SAT and/or ACT scores and must send official scores only if admitted and enrolling. International and Global Nomad applicants who graduated outside the US are not required to submit scores.
From American University’s admissions site, read 2026-11-05. Policies change; the college’s page is the authority.
How these numbers were read
American University posts only its 2025-26 Common Data Set, so one year is shown.
American University acceptance rate questions
- What is the American University acceptance rate?
- American University's Common Data Set for 2025-26 reports 20,960 first-year applicants and 13,741 admitted, an acceptance rate of 65.6%.
- What is the American University early decision acceptance rate?
- In 2025-26, 316 of 392 early decision applicants were admitted (80.6%), against 65.6% of all applicants. Early decision applicants are a different pool who commit to enroll, so the two rates are not a like-for-like comparison.
- What SAT scores do American University students have?
- In 2025-26, the middle half of enrolled first-year students who submitted the SAT scored 1320 to 1440, and ACT submitters scored 30 to 33. 15.9% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.
- How many students get off the American University waitlist?
- In 2025-26, American University offered 4,928 applicants a place on the waitlist; 1,785 accepted one, and 1,182 were admitted from it.
- Does American University require the SAT or ACT for students applying in 2026-27?
- Test optional: applicants may self-report SAT and/or ACT scores and must send official scores only if admitted and enrolling. International and Global Nomad applicants who graduated outside the US are not required to submit scores.
Applying to American University?
An acceptance rate describes the whole pool, not one student. A Specialist can read your student’s file against what American University says it weighs.
Source: American University Common Data Set, sections C1, C2, C7, C9 and C21, each year linked above, read 2026-11-05. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with American University. All official acceptance rates