#188 nationally · R1 · District of Columbia

American University research spending

American University spent $76M on research and development in fiscal year 2023, ranking #188 among US R1 and R2 universities and #3 in District of Columbia.

$76Mtotal R&D, FY2023
#188of 297 nationally
#3 of 3in District of Columbia (15% of the state's listed total)
Nomedical school

Nearest peers by research spending

RankUniversityStateTierR&D
185Boston CollegeMAR1$81M
186Florida Atlantic University MedFLR1$78M
187Northern Arizona UniversityAZR1$78M
188American UniversityDCR1$76M
189University of Southern MississippiMSR1$75M
190Rochester Institute of TechnologyNYR2$72M
191South Dakota State UniversitySDR2$71M

Research office

Funding opportunities, sponsored programs, and research development for American University run through its research office: https://www.american.edu/research/

See every District of Columbia research university.

Questions

How much does American University spend on research?
American University reported $76M in total research and development expenditures in fiscal year 2023, per the NSF HERD Survey.
Where does American University rank nationally for research spending?
#188 of the 297 R1 and R2 universities listed here, and #3 of 3 in District of Columbia.
Is American University an R1 university?
American University is classified R1 (very high research spending and doctorate production) in the 2025 Carnegie Classification.