The American University of Rome (AUR) is an independent, non-profit liberal arts institution founded in 1969, and the oldest American degree-granting institution in Rome. Perched above the historic centre on Rome's highest hill, the Janiculum, AUR has spent more than five decades offering an American-style education in one of the world's most historically and culturally significant cities, bringing together students from over 60 countries to study in English within a truly international academic environment.

AUR is led by President Scott Sprenger and governed by an independent Board of Trustees. It is accredited in the United States by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a recognized accrediting body of the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). AUR's campus is located at Via Pietro Roselli 4, 00153 Rome, Italy.

Rome as your classroom

Rome is not a backdrop to the AUR experience. It is the academic resource at the heart of it. Faculty incorporate site visits, field-based learning and direct engagement with Rome into their courses as a matter of course, using the city as a living laboratory. From ancient history and archaeology to contemporary politics, film, fine arts and food studies, students encounter their subjects in context, developing a deeper and more applied understanding than is possible in any conventional classroom.

At the same time, Rome's central location makes it a natural gateway to Europe, with major cities including London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam within easy reach for students who want to broaden their cultural and academic experience beyond Italy.

Learning beyond the classroom

AUR's academic programs are explicitly designed to connect theory with experience. More than 75% of students complete an internship during their studies, gaining professional experience with international companies, NGOs, cultural institutions and organisations based in Rome and beyond. This is not optional enrichment: professional experience is a structural part of the AUR academic model, designed to ensure students graduate with both academic knowledge and real-world readiness.

The AURA Program extends this outward reach further, allowing AUR students to study abroad at partner institutions in other countries while maintaining their AUR enrollment.

A close-knit academic community

With just over 800 students enrolled across undergraduate and graduate programs, AUR is deliberately small. Small class sizes are central to the AUR model, fostering discussion, critical thinking and genuine interaction between students and faculty. Professors bring diverse academic and professional perspectives into the classroom, creating a setting where ideas are explored collaboratively and in depth rather than delivered at scale. The result is an academic environment in which every student is visible, known and supported.

An international student body

AUR's student community represents more than 60 countries, and this diversity is not incidental to the academic experience. It defines it. All programs are taught in English, but the campus reflects a genuinely wide range of cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints. Students are consistently required to think comparatively, communicate across cultural differences and engage with complexity in a practical and meaningful way — capacities that are directly reinforced by the diversity of the people they study alongside every day.

Accreditation

The American University of Rome is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a recognized institutional accreditor of the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This accreditation affirms AUR's commitment to academic quality, institutional integrity and continuous improvement, and means that AUR degrees carry the same standing as degrees from accredited U.S. institutions.

Financial access and support

As a non-profit institution, AUR is committed to keeping tuition accessible while delivering a high-quality international education. The total cost of attendance, including accommodation in Rome, can be significantly lower than that of many comparable U.S. private institutions, allowing students to pursue a fully accredited international degree with a more manageable financial commitment. AUR participates in U.S. Title IV Direct Lending, enabling eligible U.S. students to apply federal loans to their studies. Veterans Aid is also available. A range of merit-based and need-based scholarships further supports access to the university.

Student life

Student life at AUR is shaped by its location and its community. Social activities, organized field trips, and cultural programming take students regularly into Rome and Italy. Athletics include men's and women's futsal, co-ed volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, beach tennis, basketball, running club and yoga and mat pilates, alongside a fully equipped fitness centre. The student clubs and activities programme supports a wide range of interests and communities within the AUR student body. A dedicated Resident Graduate Program supports community life for graduate students.

Transfer pathways and flexibility

AUR actively welcomes transfer students seeking to complete their degree abroad. A free, no-obligation transfer credit evaluation is available to all prospective students. AUR holds a Direct Transfer Guarantee with Verto Education, and a formal Transfer Pathway Agreement with American University in Washington DC, enabling students to begin their studies in Rome and continue seamlessly at a partner institution in the United States if they choose.

A global alumni network

Over more than five decades, AUR has graduated students who have gone on to build careers across industries and continents. This global alumni network remains actively connected to the university through the AUR Alumni Association, offering mentorship, professional connections and a lasting sense of community that extends well beyond graduation.

Why AUR

1. The oldest American degree-granting institution in Rome, with over 55 years of continuous operation since 1969
2. MSCHE-accredited degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA, equivalent in standing to degrees from accredited U.S. institutions
3. Rome as a living academic resource, with field-based learning built into programs across every discipline
4. More than 75% of students complete a professional internship, with access to Rome's international companies, NGOs and cultural institutions
5. A small, close-knit community of just over 800 students from more than 60 countries, taught in small classes by internationally diverse faculty
6. A non-profit institution with accessible tuition, U.S. Federal Loan eligibility, Veterans Aid and merit and need-based scholarships
7. A location in the heart of Europe, with direct access to Rome's 3,000 years of history and easy connections to major European cities