Auburn University College Portrait
Auburn University202 Mary Martin Hall Auburn, AL 36849-5111
(334) 844-4800
Auburn University
Thank you for your interest in Auburn University, a historic land, sea, and space grant university - among the few to be so designated - located in the beautiful small town of Auburn, Alabama, near the Georgia state line. More than 24,000 students attend Auburn, 40 percent of whom are from out of state. Since the University opened in 1856, more than 250,000 students have graduated with Auburn degrees, and today Auburn is a comprehensive research and doctoral institution, offering 130 undergraduate majors, an Honors College, and many graduate and professional programs. Through its mission of instruction, research, and outreach, Auburn remains dedicated to improving the lives of citizens in the state, region, and nation.
Living in the Auburn Community
Auburn has more than 1,400 full- and part-time faculty and 4,200 staff members, and is located in a community of some 38,000 people. The downtown village of Auburn is directly adjacent to the university campus, which comprises nearly 1,900 pedestrian-friendly acres. Student and educational support services provide the student community with counseling and academic resources, and more than 250 student organizations help students become actively involved and engaged with campus life. From Camp War Eagle orientation for new freshmen to advising to career services, the campus helps students from their first day through graduation. A new 182,000 square foot student center opened in 2008, and eight new residence halls were added in 2009.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 25,078 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 20,221 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 9,824 | 49% |
| Men | 10,397 | 51% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 143 | 1% |
| Asian | 379 | 2% |
| African American / Black | 1,583 | 8% |
| Hispanic | 510 | 3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | <1% |
| White | 17,252 | 85% |
| Two or More Races | 0 | <1% |
| International | 136 | 1% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 218 | 1% |
| Where do AU undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 59% |
| Other US States & Territories | 37% |
| Other Countries | 4% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are AU undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 21 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 3% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 24 - 30 | |
| Math | 23 - 29 | 560 - 660 |
| English | 24 - 31 | |
| Critical Reading | 535 - 650 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 69% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 91% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 72% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.79 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 100% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $23,486
Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend Auburn University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 23% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $6,167. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 27% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,816. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2009-2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
AU Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 18 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 64% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 85% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 1,196 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 33% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 17% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 88% |
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Campus-based Housing
45% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
39% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
Auburn University works with the City of Auburn Police Department, located close to campus, to assure the safety of its campus. Dedicated city officers patrol the campus, while the university also operates a Department of Public Safety. Emergency management services are part of Public Safety, and a larger Risk Management division is also housed on campus. Crime rates in the Auburn community are low, and security escorts and an overnight Tiger Transit security shuttle are available as well.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Research Universities (high research activity)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily nonresidential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, more selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Professions plus arts & sciences, high graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Comprehensive doctoral with medical/veterinary
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
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Student Activities and Involvement at AU
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 96% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 63% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 39% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 86% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 22% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 51% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 70% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 16% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 94% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 96% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 71% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 69% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 95% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 60% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 76% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 94% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 72% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 64% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 83% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 56% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 90% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 92% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 88% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at Auburn University in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 4,041 |
| Master's | 999 |
| Doctoral | 430 |
| Total | 5,470 |
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| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES | 25% |
| ENGINEERING | 14% |
| EDUCATION | 9% |
| BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES | 7% |
| ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES | 7% |
| Links to degree programs at Auburn University |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 91% four-year success and progress rate means that 91% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
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Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 3,579 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 1,387 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 87%
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Student Learning at Auburn University
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Auburn University's commitment to excellence in teaching and learning has long been reflected in the University's diverse course offerings and varied instructional approaches. Today Auburn also enjoys a reputation for data-driven assessment that adds value to learning. A recent Assessment Initiative concentrated attention on general education goals that all students should meet and has led to campus-wide focus on improving writing skills. Student learning is a frequent topic at public meetings of the Board of Trustees, and each degree program seeks to improve results by studying what really works. In addition to ongoing assessments in general education and the majors, Auburn demonstrates its commitment to excellence through means such as academic program review, professional licensure and accreditation, and strategic attention to retention, graduation, job placement, and graduate school aptitude and admission.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
- Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1153
Senior Score: 1230
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 26
Senior Score: 26
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1168
Senior Score: 1168
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1092
Senior Score: 1244
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 26
Senior Score: 26
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1168
Senior Score: 1168