Globally recognized faculty
AUA’s faculty has garnered global recognition and awards for their work. Increasingly, our faculty members are being recognized as experts in their fields and appointed by Armenia’s government as advisors on key issues, including shaping health policy and the engineering of new highways.
AUA’s research centers are active in organizing international conferences, drawing a global audience of scholars and experts to present on topics ranging from environmental issues, to public health, to internal legal issues.
WASC Accreditation
In recent years, AUA received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of six accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the accreditation of institutions of higher education. WASC accreditation provides quality control to our academics. Additionally, it ensures that credits earned at AUA may be transferred to other accredited universities in the U.S.
Impact on Armenia and The World
The impact of an AUA education is felt far and wide. Over 75% of our graduating alumni have remained in Armenia, to develop their professional careers and successfully contribute their talents to initiatives throughout the region.
Full-Need and Need-Blind Admissions to AUA
AUA has had a long-standing policy, clearly stated to all degree applicants and students, that no qualified student will be denied an AUA education because of financial need. That is, we are a “full-need” institution. We are also a “need-blind” institution. We admit students based on merit alone, without consideration of financial need. Only a handful of private institutions of higher education in the U.S. are both full-need and need-blind.
To maintain our full-need and need-blind policies, AUA’s tuition for Armenian students (citizens and Armenian nationals with long-term residency) is heavily subsidized by the University’s general funds. While our costs have been increasing, we continue to charge Armenian students only about $2,500 in tuition annually. The real cost of educating each student is approximately $10,000 annually. In addition to this subsidy, AUA returns over 25% of tuition revenues received to its students through need-based tuition assistance and academic achievement scholarships. The difference between tuition costs to the student and his or her family and the full cost of educating that student has been possible only with generous philanthropic support, which needs to be further developed to ensure AUA’s long term success.
AUA addressing key issues in the environment
AUA has received international acclaim for addressing sensitive issues regarding the environment. AUA Acopian Center for the Environment (AUA ACE) is at the forefront, monitoring toxic waste cleanup sites, developing policies on responsible mining, and educating current and future AUA students in courses examining environmental matters.
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