American University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 7,593 students · Visit Website

American University offers professional and lifelong learning programs, including online, non-credit courses and career training designed to fit various schedules. These programs can lead to an AU certificate of achievement and prepare students for industry-recognized certifications in fields like arts and design, business, computer science, construction and trades, and information technology. The university emphasizes experiential learning through internships, research projects, and service-learning, with career development support available through its Career Center.

Programs Analyzed

2

Avg Grad Earnings

$51,857/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

52/100

Tuition

$56,543/yr

All Programs at American University

2 trade programs at American University, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.

Program Score Earnings Debt 10yr ROI AI Risk Job Market
Political Science
Political Science and Government
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56 $51,222/yr $23,250 12.1x Very High Very Large
182 openings/yr
Linguistics
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
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48 $52,493/yr $24,250 8.3x Very High Large
83 openings/yr

Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.

More Trade Schools in District of Columbia

Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in District of Columbia, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.

View all trade schools in District of Columbia →

Apprenticeship Pathways in District of Columbia

Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in District of Columbia. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.

Browse all apprenticeship trades →

About This Data

TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 2 trade and vocational programs at American University using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).

The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2026.