American InterContinental University System
Chandler, Arizona · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 6/100 · Poor Value
American InterContinental University System (AIUS) is a private for-profit online institution based in Chandler, Arizona, serving 7,111 students. Its ROI score of 6 out of 100 places it in the Poor Value tier, and the data behind that score is unsparing. The most damaging input is an 8.5% completion rate -- meaning fewer than 1 in 10 entering students earn the credential they enrolled to pursue. The three-year repayment rate of 35.7% confirms that even completers often cannot make progress on loans. Median earnings six years out are $33,200 against median debt of $31,000, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.934 and a paybackPeriodYears of 175.4 -- effectively meaning the typical graduate would need a working lifetime several times over to pay off the cost of attendance through earnings premium alone. Net price is $15,172 with a $60,688 four-year all-in. The relatively low sticker tuition of $12,397 is the only mild positive in the picture; everything downstream of enrollment -- completion, repayment, earnings -- is structurally weak.
The data raises concerns about American InterContinental University System
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score6/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate8.5% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup 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 |
| Median 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 sticker price at American InterContinental University System is $12,397/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $15,172/year, or roughly $60,688 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $14,802/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $17,810/year.
The median graduate leaves with $31,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $329 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $36,144 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.93 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
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 $0-$30,000 face a net price of $14,802 -- the lowest of the income tiers, but still substantial relative to typical earnings. With 71% of students Pell-eligible, this is the dominant income segment at AIUS. Given an 8.5% completion rate, the expected outcome for this bracket is paying tuition and accumulating debt without earning the credential. The math only works for self-starters with strong external support.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $15,080 and the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $15,672 -- nearly identical pricing across the lower-middle tiers, suggesting flat institutional aid policy. With median earnings of $33,200 six years out, returns to investment are weak even for completers. Compare carefully against community college transfer paths or in-state public online programs.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $19,828 and $110,001-plus pays $17,810 -- the higher-upper-middle tier paying more than the top tier, a mild inversion that suggests merit-aid skew at the top end. Higher-income families typically have better-aligned options at established public universities; AIUS's value proposition does not improve at this income level.
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 is by far the largest program at AIUS, graduating 1,075 students annually -- roughly the entire production of the institution. First-year median earnings of $43,528 are reasonable for a business credential, but median debt of $49,961 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.148 and an ROI grade of F. The ratio means typical graduates owe more in student debt than they earn in their first full year of work, a structural disadvantage that takes many years of disciplined repayment to unwind.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 231 students with first-year earnings of $35,862. Median debt of $47,500 yields a 1.325 debt-to-earnings ratio, also F-grade. Career paths in corrections, probation, and entry-level law enforcement typically pay $35,000-$50,000 early career, which makes a debt load of $47,500 a multi-year drag on disposable income. A community college path to the same career field would substantially improve outcomes.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health Administration graduates 156 students with first-year earnings of $40,754 against $52,813 median debt -- a 1.296 ratio earning an F. Healthcare administration is a real, growing job category, but the high debt level eliminates most of the early-career earnings advantage. Career advancement into mid-level admin roles ($55,000-$70,000) typically requires 5+ years, during which loan service consumes most of the wage gain.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer Science is AIUS's strongest program, with 154 graduates earning a $51,687 first-year median -- the highest in the school's portfolio. Even so, median debt of $45,606 still produces a 0.882 debt-to-earnings ratio and only a D grade. Four-year out earnings reach $71,486, suggesting graduates who land technical roles see meaningful wage growth. This is the only AIUS program where the math is at least plausible for borrowers willing to commit to an IT career path.
Accounting
Accounting graduates 26 students with $46,628 first-year earnings against $51,848 median debt, a 1.112 ratio and F grade. Accounting is normally a moderate-ROI degree at lower-cost institutions, but AIUS's debt levels invert the math. Public-university accounting programs at half the all-in cost would produce similar earnings, leaving graduates substantially better off.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 27.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 35.7% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 29.7% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 39.2% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 7,111 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 71.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,706 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, which is typical of for-profit online institutions that operate open-enrollment models. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are similarly absent. The practical implication: AIUS does not screen for academic preparation, which helps explain the catastrophic 8.5% completion rate -- many enrolled students arrive without the academic readiness or scheduling stability to finish a degree.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
AIUS sits in a peer cluster dominated by other for-profit and online-heavy institutions. Grand Canyon University, also based in Phoenix, is now nominally nonprofit and posts dramatically better completion and earnings numbers thanks to its on-ground campus and traditional-aged student base. University of Advancing Technology, a small Tempe-based for-profit, focuses on tech disciplines and posts higher early earnings. South University Savannah Online and Strayer University Global Region are the closest direct comparisons -- for-profit, distance-heavy, and similarly challenged on completion. Los Angeles Film School is a vocational specialty institution. AIUS's score of 6 sits at the bottom of this cluster.
| 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
AIUS enrolls predominantly working adults: 7,111 students with a 71% Pell Grant rate, indicating that the great majority come from lower-income households and qualify for full federal need-based aid. The fit case here is narrow: a working adult who has weighed the 8.5% institutional completion rate against their personal capacity to finish, who has employer tuition assistance covering a meaningful share, or who is already advanced enough in coursework to be confident of finishing. For traditional-age first-time students with no prior college credit, prospective outcomes are statistically poor.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about American InterContinental University System. With a net cost of $15,172 per year and median graduate earnings of only $36,144 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a 8.5% graduation rate and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,000 against $36,144 in earnings is concerning. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 exceeds the commonly recommended threshold. Major choice is critical here.
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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.