American Public University System: Cost and Outcomes (2026)
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- APUS is a for-profit, online-only university accredited by HLC
- APUS tuition is $8,400 a year, and the average net price is $9,597
- Only 26% of APUS students earn a credential within eight years
- Business and general studies produce most APUS graduates
- Who APUS fits, and the watch-outs
- Check your own aid before you apply to APUS
American Public University System (APUS) charged $8,400 in tuition and fees for 2024-25, and its average net price was $9,597 for 2023-24, according to College Scorecard’s June 2026 data. 26% of students who started in 2016-17 earned a credential within eight years.
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Estimate my benefitAPUS is a for-profit, online-only university in Charles Town, WV, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc., and teaches as American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU).
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APUS is a for-profit, online-only university accredited by HLC
| Fact | APUS |
|---|---|
| Control | Private for-profit |
| Accreditor | Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
| Location | Charles Town, WV |
| Undergraduates studying fully online (fall 2024) | 100% |
| Degree-seeking undergraduates (fall 2024) | 40,074 |
| Graduate students (fall 2024) | 9,095 |
| Undergraduates 25 or older (fall 2023) | 78% |
| Admission rate (fall 2024) | Not reported |
| Federal school ID (UNITID) | 449339 |
APUS tuition is $8,400 a year, and the average net price is $9,597
Scorecard lists $8,400 in tuition and fees for 2024-25, the same for in-state and out-of-state students.
Net price is the full cost of attendance, including housing and living costs, minus grants and scholarships. Scorecard’s average covers full-time, first-time undergraduates who got federal aid in 2023-24: 62 students at APUS.
| Family income | Average net price, 2023-24 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $9,335 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,766 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $8,951 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,559 |
| $110,001 and up | Not published |
Scorecard publishes no average above $110,000. These averages rest on 62 students, because 91% of APUS undergraduates attend part-time and fall outside the measure.
If you use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays online-only students up to $1,261 a month for housing in 2026-27 and caps private and for-profit tuition at $30,908.34 a year. The GI Bill calculator applies those rates to your chapter and benefit level.
For 2026-27, Pell pays up to $7,395 a year to eligible undergraduates, and your own net price depends on your income, family size and state. The aid check stacks Pell, state grants, campus aid and federal loan limits for your numbers in about two minutes, and shows the result before it asks for an email.
Only 26% of APUS students earn a credential within eight years
| Measure | APUS |
|---|---|
| Earned a credential within 8 years (all students who started in 2016-17) | 26% |
| Graduated within 6 years (first-time, full-time students only) | 55% |
| Median earnings 6 years after starting | $32,917 |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting | $44,409 |
| Graduates’ median earnings 4 years after finishing | $70,107 |
| Graduates’ median federal loan debt | $21,743 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell Grant (2023-24) | 25% |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan (2023-24) | 12% |
The first-time, full-time rate (55%) is more than double the all-student rate (26%), which suggests part-time and transfer students finished far less often. 91% of APUS undergraduates attend part-time.
These are school-wide medians. Your payoff depends on the program, the job you target and what you pay.
Business and general studies produce most APUS graduates
These are APUS’s five largest fields by graduates in 2022-23, from Scorecard’s field-of-study file. All five are offered fully online.
| Field and credential | Graduates, 2022-23 | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (bachelor's) | 1,808 | $75,722 | $22,988 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (associate) | 1,612 | $63,895 | $9,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (master's) | 1,202 | $91,167 | $37,330 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (associate) | 662 | $51,579 | $7,940 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (bachelor's) | 571 | $69,546 | $20,888 |
Field names are the federal Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) categories Scorecard uses, not APUS program titles. Earnings are medians for graduates who got federal aid, four years after finishing, and debt is their median federal loan balance.
Who APUS fits, and the watch-outs
It fits if
- You are military-connected or an adult learner. 78% of undergraduates were 25 or older in fall 2023.
- You need a low sticker price. Tuition and fees were $8,400 for 2024-25.
- You study part-time around work or service. 91% of undergraduates did in fall 2024.
Watch-outs
- Completion is low. 74% of students who started in 2016-17 had no APUS credential eight years later.
- Graduates who borrow still owe. Only 12% of undergraduates took a federal loan in 2023-24, but graduates owe a median $21,743.
- It is for-profit. APUS is owned by American Public Education, Inc., a company, not a public or nonprofit board.
Check your own aid before you apply to APUS
APUS’s averages describe what other students paid. The aid check applies the 2026-27 federal rules to your income and family, takes about two minutes, and shows the result before any email or school contact.
To compare on the same measures, see Western Governors University (52% eight-year rate, $12,548 net price) or Purdue University Global (28%, $26,078 median debt).
Degree Sources may refer readers to schools through partners. School matching is optional and comes after you see your aid result. The figures here come from federal data, and this profile does not rank schools.
See your aid stack before you apply to APUS
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Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard: American Public University System (UNITID 449339)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard data files, June 10, 2026 release
- College Scorecard data documentation: field definitions and cohort years
- NCES College Navigator: American Public University System (distance education and age, fall 2023 and 2024)
- Federal Student Aid, 2026-27 Federal Pell Grant maximum and minimum award amounts
- American Public University System: about the system and its ownership
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Post-9/11 GI Bill rates
Related Resources
Western Governors University Online: Cost, Outcomes (2026)
WGU tuition was $8,658 for 2024-25 and its average net price $12,548. 52% of students finish within 8 years; graduates owe a median $11,116.
Purdue University Global Online: Cost and Outcomes (2026)
Purdue Global tuition was $10,101 in-state for 2024-25. 28% of students finish within 8 years, and graduates owe a median $26,078.
Best Online Criminal Justice Degrees 2026
Six online criminal justice degrees compared on College Scorecard outcomes. Police officers earned a $76,210 median in May 2025; academy is still required.