Founded in 1900, the Association of American Universities is composed of America’s leading research universities. AAU’s 71 research universities transform lives through education, research, and innovation. Our member universities earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research that improves public health, seeks to address national challenges, and contributes significantly to our economic strength, while educating and training tomorrow’s visionary leaders and innovators.
AAU universities create jobs, produce innovative technologies, and boost local economies. In 2024, AAU paid $127.5 billion in salaries to 912,626 employees, produced 4,963 patents, and fostered the creation of 592 start-ups. 33 AAU universities are in the top 50 worldwide for producing venture capital-backed entrepreneurs, and 407 start-up companies were generated in the university's home state.
In 2024, AAU institutions awarded 50% of all research doctoral degrees and 22% of all undergraduate degrees in Science and Engineering.
AAU universities provide excellent value to their students. In 2023, only 25% of AAU undergraduates took out federal student loans, and they default at lower rates; 2.4%, compared to 5.4% and 9.2% for non-profit and for-profit universities respectively.
Federal agencies rely on universities to perform critical research in the national interest - AAU universities perform the majority of that research. $38.23 billion in federally funded basic research, or 64% of the total amount funded, is performed by faculty at AAU universities. Agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services (including NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Defense (DoD) alone funded $32.1 billion in university research to improve the lives of Americans.
