American University
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE, FOSTER INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, BUILD COMMUNITY, AND EMPOWER LIVES OF PURPOSE, SERVICE, AND LEADERSHIP.
- Income
- $929.6 million
- Spending
- $943.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 5.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 85%
- Employees
- 8,559
- Volunteers
- 1,014
- Highest pay
- $1.6 million, dist. fellow & former president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.2 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 35% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2525 of 25 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Reports results. Its tax return states measurable results. These are its own figures and nobody has checked them.
Results it reports
- Eleven residence halls provide living quarters for almost 4,048 students.Work delivered
Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $231.4 million spent. INSTRUCTION: THE UNIVERSITY'S MISSION IS CARRIED OUT BY ALMOST 911 FULL-TIME TEACHING AND RESEARCH FACULTY IN SIX ACADEMIC DIVISIONS OFFERING 82 BACHELOR'S PROGRAMS, 92 MASTER'S PROGRAMS, 24 DOCTORAL PROGRAMS, J.D., S.J.D, M.L.S. AND L.L.M. PROGRAMS. STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO = 10:1. AVERAGE CLASS SIZE = 21 STUDENTS.
- $196.2 million spent. SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS: AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AWARDS FINANCIAL AID TO STUDENTS BASED ON A COMBINATION OF DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AND THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. ONCE A STUDENT IS ADMITTED, THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE WILL DETERMINE NEED AND DEVELOP A FINANCIAL AID AWARD THAT INCLUDES FUNDS FROM THE PROGRAMS FOR WHICH THE STUDENT QUALIFIES. TO RECEIVE CONSIDERATION FOR FINANCIAL AID, A STUDENT MUST BE A UNITED STATES CITIZEN OR ELIGIBLE NON-CITIZEN IN A DEGREE PROGRAM.
- $103.6 million spent. AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES: UNIVERSITY DORMITORIES, CONSISTING OF ELEVEN RESIDENCE HALLS, PROVIDE LIVING QUARTERS FOR ALMOST 4,048 STUDENTS. ALSO PROVIDED ARE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, DINING SERVICES, PARKING, AND OTHER SELF-SUPPORTING FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENT SERVICES.
- $319.6 million spent. ACADEMIC SUPPORT - THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, ACADEMIC COMPUTER SERVICES, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND SUPPORT FOR THE SIX ACADEMIC DIVISIONS.STUDENT SERVICES - HEALTH AND COUNSELING, CAREER CENTER, UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR, FINANCIAL AID AND ENROLLMENT SERVICES, SPORTS AND RECREATION.INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, SPACE MANAGEMENT, SECURITY, MAIL AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.RESEARCH- RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS FUNDED BY FEDERAL AND PRIVATE AGENCIES.PUBLIC SERVICE - THE OPERATION OF WAMU 88.5 FM, A 24-HOUR, 50,000 WATT PUBLIC RADIO STATION LICENSED TO THE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1961.AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN THE UNIVERSITY'S SEVEN-YEAR PLAN BUILDS ON OUR LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP, AND SERVICE AND FOCUSES ON THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR COMMUNITY AND HIGHER EDUCATION, AS IT BOLDLY EMBRACES OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATER IMPACT. OUR PLAN IS ORGANIZED INTO THREE STRATEGIC THEMES -SCHOLARSHIP, LEARNING, AND COMMUNITY - WITH KEY IMPERATIVES TO GUIDE OUR FOCUSED EFFORTS. CHANGE CAN'T WAIT CAMPAIGNAMERICAN UNIVERSITY UNDERTOOK THE CHANGE CAN'T WAIT CAMPAIGN THROUGH A PUBLIC LAUNCH IN 2021. THE CAMPAIGN HAD A BOLD CALL TO REDEFINE WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE EAGLE COMMUNITY. TOGETHER, AU CHANGEMAKERS TURNED AMBITION INTO ACTION. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY FORMALLY CONCLUDED THE CHANGE CAN'T WAIT CAMPAIGN IN FY2025. THE CAMPAIGN CLOSED IN SEPTEMBER 2024 AFTER RAISING MORE THAN $507 MILLION, EXCEEDING ITS ORIGINAL GOAL. THE CAMPAIGN SUPPORTED THREE CORE INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES: STUDENT THRIVING, FACULTY AND RESEARCH IMPACT, AND BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES. ACCORDING TO BOARD OF TRUSTEES COMMUNICATIONS, CAMPAIGN OUTCOMES INCLUDED EXPANDED SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT, FUNDING FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, INVESTMENTS IN ENDOWED FACULTY POSITIONS, AND MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS. CAPITAL INVESTMENTS SUPPORTED BY THE CAMPAIGN INCLUDED KEY COMPONENTS OF THE STUDENT THRIVING COMPLEX, SUCH AS RENOVATIONS TO THE MARY GRAYDON STUDENT CENTER AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MELTZER CENTER FOR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE.WITH THE CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN, THE UNIVERSITY MARKED THE END OF THE CHANGEMAKERS FOR A CHANGING WORLD ERA AND TRANSITIONED FROM CAMPAIGN EXECUTION TO INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING FOCUSED ON SUSTAINING AND BUILDING UPON THESE INVESTMENTS.LAUNCH OF THE NEXT STRATEGIC PLANON FEBRUARY 7, 2025, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY FORMALLY ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF A UNIVERSITYWIDE PROCESS TO DEVELOP ITS NEXT STRATEGIC PLAN. THE NEW PLAN IS INTENDED TO SUCCEED THE CHANGEMAKERS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 2026. PRESIDENT JONATHAN ALGER DESCRIBED THE PLANNING EFFORT AS AN INCLUSIVE, COMMUNITYBASED PROCESS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY THE UNIVERSITY'S MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING YEARS. THE PROCESS IS STRUCTURED AROUND MULTIPLE PHASES EXTENDING THROUGH CALENDAR YEAR 2025 AND INCLUDES BROAD PARTICIPATION FROM FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS, AND UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP. THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK ESTABLISHES FOUR PRIMARY PHASES: (1) INITIAL EXPLORATION AND WORKINGGROUP FORMATION DURING SPRING 2025; (2) DEEPER DEVELOPMENT AND ALIGNMENT WITH BUDGETING AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING DURING SUMMER AND EARLY FALL 2025; (3) DRAFTING AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES REVIEW IN LATE FALL 2025; AND (4) FINALIZATION AND PREPARATION FOR LAUNCH AT THE START OF 2026. AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, THE UNIVERSITY CONVENED EIGHT WORKING GROUPS IN SPRING 2025, EACH CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING SEVERAL HIGHIMPACT STRATEGIC IDEAS ("BIG BETS") ALIGNED WITH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY'S MISSION, ACADEMIC STRENGTHS, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOCUS, AND LONGTERM SUSTAINABILITY.READINESS: PREPARED FOR LIVES OF ACHIEVEMENT AND MEANING, AU STUDENTSGRADUATE WITH A PORTFOLIO OF REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE AND IN-DEMAND SKILLSTHAT TRANSLATE ACROSS EVERY INDUSTRY AND CAREER.COMMUNITY: AU IS AN INSTITUTION DEEPLY ROOTED IN COMMUNITY - LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, AND GLOBALLY - AND WHEN OUR COMMUNITY GROWS STRONGER, SO DO AU. OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, OUR STRATEGIC EFFORTS WILL EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN OUR TIES TO COMMUNITIES, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL.CURIOSITY: AU RESEARCH GOES TO WORK. "R1 THE AU WAY" UNITES FACULTY ANDSTUDENTS IN A COMMON MISSION: TO SOLVE URGENT CHALLENGES AND TRANSFORMBOLD IDEAS INTO MEANINGFUL ACTION FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL TO THEGLOBAL STAGE.AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: PARTNER IN OUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY SERVICEMANY OF AU'S PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES, AND INDIVIDUALS EXEMPLIFY THE UNIVERSITY'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE. AU VIEWS ITSELF AS A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY WITH A PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY. THE UNIVERSITY WORKS WITH NUMEROUS LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTICIPATES IN A MYRIAD OF COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES INCLUDING: COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING AND RESEARCH, DC READS, ONE-DAY SERVICE EVENTS, AND EAGLE ENDOWMENT.WORKING WITH DC SCHOOLS AND STUDENTSAU'S SCHOOL OF EDUCATION PREPARES EDUCATION STUDENTS TO BECOME EARLY CHILDHOOD, ELEMENTARY, BILINGUAL, SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS THROUGH INSTRUCTIONAL WORK IN AREA SCHOOLS. EACH YEAR, A GROUP OF EDUCATION MAJORS EACH YEAR ARE PLACED AS STUDENT TEACHERS TO TEACH ALL ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM FROM THE ARTS TO THE SCIENCES AND IN THE AREAS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SPECIAL EDUCATION.WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAWWASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW (WCL), LOCATED ONE BLOCK FROM THE AU-TENLEYTOWN METRO, CONSISTENTLY PROVIDES FREE LEGAL SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME AND OTHERWISE UNDERREPRESENTED AREA RESIDENTS THROUGH ITS HIGHLY-RANKED CLINICAL PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, A SELECTED GROUP OF WCL STUDENTS EACH YEAR REPRESENTS LOW-INCOME CLIENTS FACING EVICTION IN DC LANDLORD AND TENANT COURT, AS PARTICIPANTS IN THE DC LAW STUDENTS IN COURT PROGRAM, AN INDEPENDENT LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE DISTRICT.AN OPEN DOOR POLICYAU MAINTAINS A GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY BY WORKING WITH NEIGHBORS, LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONS IN THE CAMPUS AREA. LED BY THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, THE UNIVERSITY'S OUTREACH EFFORTS ALSO INCLUDE MAINTAINING ONGOING C
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1935.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.