American University rose three spots to #88 in National Universities in the new 2026 U.S. News Report college rankings published on Sept. 24, while dropping in many individual categories.
AU achieved #72 in 2023, with the University's record high being #69 in 2018. The significant drop to #105 in 2024 prompted a statement from then-president Sylvia Burwell, who attributed it to a drastic change in the factors that produce the rankings.
Of 10 measured categories, the University dropped in six this year. It is ranked at #5 in Study Abroad, a one-spot drop from last year. It also saw a 19-point drop from #33 to #52 in First-Year Experiences, a 29-point drop from #83 to #112 in Economics, an 8-point drop from #102 to #110 on Top Performers on Social Mobility, and a 21-point drop in Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects.
Dhruv Patki, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, believes the measured categories hold less weight at AU than they do at more prestigious institutions.
“We're not a top 20 school,” Patki said. “[If] Harvard dropped 30 points in a category, everybody would be freaking the hell out. But for everybody else, it just seems like it's just another ranking.”
The University did see a 4-point increase in Co-ops/Internships, a 2-point increase in Best Colleges for Veterans, an 8-point increase in Best Value Schools, and a 1-point increase in International Business.
Grace Kelly, a junior in the School of International Service, was especially taken aback by the Best Value Schools increase. She doesn’t think AU offers students their tuition dollars’ worth — especially considering the decreasing quality of certain programs.
“I think AU offers some really great financial aid,” Kelly said. “But for the full sticker price or merit-based aid, I don't know what I would value. Especially considering that our undergrad research, freshman year experience, everything else is dropping.” It should be noted that the University achieved R1 Research status in February.
Evan Sherman, a graduate student in the SIS, thinks the rankings should have considered how AU’s location in D.C. sets it apart from other universities.
“Considering the location of AU, the faculty that it has at its disposal, the resources that it has, and everything that can draw upon from just the city alone, it should very well have maintained and increased its rankings,” Sherman said.
The University is ranked far behind other D.C. schools. Although nearby Howard University was one of nine schools tied with AU for the #88 spot, key rivals George Washington University and Georgetown University rank respectively at #59 and #24 in National Universities. GW rose by four spots compared to last year’s report, while Georgetown retained its ranking from last year.
Kelly was not surprised that AU falls so far short of Georgetown. But GW, in her eyes, has a lot in common with AU.
“I don't really know too much about where GW is at, but I always considered AU and GW to be equal — pretty equivalent,” Kelly said.
Charlie Connell, a freshman studying psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, sees different strengths and weaknesses among the three schools. She believes it is up to the individual applicant to determine which appeals to them the most.
“If you value international studies, then obviously American’s going to be better to you than GW or Georgetown. But if you value other things that maybe GW or Georgetown are better at, then your personal perspective is going to be that they're better,” Connell said.
AU’s drop in so many categories has ultimately left students like Patki reflecting on their own experiences and why it's important for applicants to listen to their own intuition.
“During my college search process, I never really paid much attention to rankings,” Patki said. “I paid more attention to the programs and location and the quality of professors and class size and everything. [These are] the metrics that really matter as far as selecting a university goes, and so I'm very happy with my choice here at American.”
This article was edited by Cara Halford, Abigail Hatting and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting and Ariana Kavoossi.
