The American University of Rome

Since 1969, The American University of Rome has provided an American liberal arts education to students from all over the world seeking a unique and extraordinary educational experience. It is the oldest American degree-granting institution in Rome, Italy, and currently offers 10 Bachelor degrees and 3 Master degrees. All programs are taught in English.

Overlooking the historical center of Rome, The American University of Rome is a traditional American college located on top of the Eternal City’s highest hill, offering a spectacular view of the city and the surrounding hills.

The defining aspects of the programs taught at AUR are: 

1. All programs combine theoretical understanding with practical experience, and classes are often taught on-site throughout Rome and Italy.
2. Abundant opportunities to gain real-world work experience through internships with national and international commercial companies and NGOs. Over 75% of our students will undertake an internship; many will take two.
3. AUR has a relatively small student body of just over 600 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Classes have a low student-to-staff ratio, creating an intimate learning environment and engendering in-depth discussions in the classroom.

Affordable tuition and financial aid

AUR is a not-for-profit university and we work hard to keep our tuition fees as affordable as possible. Lend Edu estimates the average cost for four-year higher education at an American non-profit college is around $50,000 per annum. At The American University of Rome, the cost per annum (including accommodation) is just over $36,000. This, combined with the lower cost of living in Italy, represents a significant saving and means that our students can graduate with a much more manageable student loan overhead.

The American University of Rome participates in US Title IV Direct Lending to cover the estimated cost of attendance. Our Financial Aid department is dedicated to guiding students and parents through the process of applying for, disbursing and managing these loans.

AUR is wholly committed to assisting students whose academic merit and financial need warrant recognition and support. To this end, we have a range of scholarship options available.

Truly diverse

AUR is home to a highly diverse student body representing over 60 countries on campus. 28 native languages are spoken amongst our faculty and students, although all programs are conducted in English.

Reflecting this eclectic campus, our professors respect and draw from different points of view, ideas, and real-world experiences, enriching the dialogue within the classroom. 

Learn on location

Rome is our classroom. Professors complement their lessons with on-site visits around the city, guiding students through the richly layered experience that is Rome - both past and present - highlighting its global context throughout the ages.  

Add an international element to your academic achievements

Rome’s beauty quickly overtakes all who enter its ancient walls. A walk or bus ride through even the most commonplace quarters of the city yields encounters with innumerable monuments, towering pillars, and major imperial buildings that still stand imposingly just as they have for over 2,000 years! However, we encourage our students to venture out of the city and make the most of having the rest of Europe on their doorstep. Rome is the perfect base from which to explore the rest of Europe; London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris are all within a three-hour flight distance.

An engaged alumni network

Over its 50 years of teaching and learning, AUR has graduated thousands of students from across the world. This network of alumni spans the globe and the career spectrum and many of its members actively work to help new graduates from the university. AUR is more than just a community, it's a family.

Accreditation

AUR is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a non-profit institution.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) was formally incorporated under Pennsylvania Commonwealth law on March 1, 2013. From its origins in 1919 through February 2013, the Commission was a unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Although now an independent corporation, the Commission maintains an ongoing relationship with the Middle States Association.

The Commission on Higher Education is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidacy status) activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions. MSCHE is also recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit degree-granting institutions which offer one or more post-secondary educational programs of at least one academic year in length in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other geographic areas in which the Commission conducts accrediting activities.

The Commission is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources. It examines each institution as a whole, rather than specific programs within institutions.