American InterContinental University System
Chandler, Arizona · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 6/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
American InterContinental University System receives a CampusROI score of 6 (Below Benchmark tier) under our methodology, alongside an 8.5% completion rate. Published tuition is $12,397 and the average net price is $15,172 per year, or $60,688 over four years of attendance (a cost figure, not a debt figure). The net price is higher than published tuition because it measures the full cost of attendance after grant aid, not tuition alone. Median debt at graduation is $31,000 against average earnings of $33,200 six years after entry, a 0.934 debt-to-earnings ratio, and median earnings reach $36,144 ten years after entry. Our model estimates a payback period of 175.4 years, which under our methodology means earnings at these levels do not recover the cost of attendance within a typical working career. Three years after leaving, 35.7% of borrowers were making progress on repayment. Outcomes vary widely by program and by student, and these institution-level figures describe past cohorts rather than any individual result. Figures are from the 2024-2025 College Scorecard release.
How American InterContinental University System scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score6/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate8.5% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
American InterContinental University System
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,397/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $12,397/yr |
| Average net price | $15,172/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $60,688 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $36,144 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 8.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,111 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $12,397/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $15,172/year, or roughly $60,688 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $14,802/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $17,810/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $31,000, which works out to about $329 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,200) and comes to 0.93, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $14,802 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,080 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,672 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,828 |
| $110,001+ | $17,810 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 report an average net price of $14,802 per year, about $59,200 over four years. Institutional and outside aid can change this figure significantly for individual students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Families earning $30,001-$48,000 report an average net price of $15,080 per year, families earning $48,001-$75,000 report $15,672, and families earning $75,001-$110,000 report $19,828.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 report an average net price of $17,810 per year, about $71,200 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at American InterContinental University System with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,959 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $45,672 | F |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $47,083 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $71,486 | D |
| Accounting | $53,956 | F |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $32,318 | - |
| Design and Applied Arts | $23,436 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration, Management, and Operations has 1,075 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $43,528 in the first year and $53,959 by year four, against median debt of $49,961 (a 1.148 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice and Corrections has 231 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $35,862 in the first year and $45,672 by year four, against median debt of $47,500 (a 1.325 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health and Medical Administrative Services has 156 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $40,754 in the first year and $47,083 by year four, against median debt of $52,813 (a 1.296 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences has 154 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a D grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $51,687 in the first year and $71,486 by year four, against median debt of $45,606 (a 0.882 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Accounting
Accounting has 26 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $46,628 in the first year and $53,956 by year four, against median debt of $51,848 (a 1.112 debt-to-earnings ratio).
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 27.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 35.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 29.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 39.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How American InterContinental University System’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 7,111 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 71.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,706 |
AIU's admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT and ACT ranges are not reported either. The completion rate of 8.5% measures the share of first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of normal time.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| American InterContinental University System (this school) | 6 | $15,172 | $36,144 |
| South University-Montgomery | 7 | $27,807 | $34,421 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | 7 | $27,843 | $34,421 |
| South University-Savannah Online | 7 | $28,049 | $34,421 |
| South University-Austin | 7 | $25,680 | $34,421 |
| American InterContinental University-Houston | 6 | $20,249 | $36,144 |
Who Thrives Here
Students relying heavily on loans should compare the net price for their income bracket using AIU's net price calculator.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, American InterContinental University System scores 6/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,172 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $36,144 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 8.5% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 35.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
American InterContinental University System: Common Questions
Is American InterContinental University System worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. American InterContinental University System scores 6/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,172 a year after aid against $36,144 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does American InterContinental University System cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $15,172 a year, or roughly $60,688 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do American InterContinental University System graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $36,144 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off American InterContinental University System?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for American InterContinental University System. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do American InterContinental University System graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,000, against average earnings of $33,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at American InterContinental University System?
The six-year graduation rate is 8.5%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.