American University president salary and executive pay
American University paid its president, JONATHAN R ALGER, $569,942 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. On the return for the fiscal year ending June 2024, the president was SYLVIA M BURWELL, paid $1,546,831. American University ranks 95th of 100 universities on this site by president's pay. American University has 4 Form 990 returns on record, for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025.
Last updated from IRS e-file data. EIN 53-0196549, Washington, DC.
President, fiscal year ending June 2025
$569,942
Highest-paid person, fiscal year ending June 2025
$1,570,221SYLVIA M BURWELLDIST. FELLOW & FORMER PRESIDENT
- Total revenue
- $929,602,491
- Pay vs. peers
- Higher than 22%
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202641339349303109.View the filing
Peers: the 94 other universities on this site. Ranked 74th of 95 by top pay as a share of revenue. Pay is 0.06% of revenue, our calculation from the same return. Revenue is Part I, line 12; peers are compared on their latest full-year returns.
Highest-paid people on the latest return
On the latest return, 11 people were paid more than $500,000, 1 of them more than $1 million.
| Name and title | Total |
|---|---|
| SYLVIA M BURWELLDIST. FELLOW & FORMER PRESIDENT | $1,570,221 |
| BRONTE BURLEIGH-JONESCFO, VP & TREASURER | $716,305 |
| SETH GROSSMANLECTURER & FORMER VP, PPL & EXT. AFFAIRS | $687,228 |
| VICKY WILKINSPROF./CAO AS OF 5/25 INT. THRU 4/25 | $661,222 |
| TRAEVENA L BYRDVP, UNI. COUNSEL & BOT SEC | $643,351 |
President's pay by year
Each row is the president on that year's return.
| Fiscal year ending | Name and title | Total | Revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | JONATHAN R ALGER President PRESIDENT AS OF 7/24 | $569,942 | $929,602,491 | Filing |
| Jun 2024 | SYLVIA M BURWELL President PRESIDENT THRU 6/24 | $1,546,831 | $937,058,878 | Filing |
| Jun 2023 | SYLVIA M BURWELL President PRESIDENT | $2,136,599 | $933,862,010 | Filing |
| Jun 2022 | SYLVIA M BURWELL President PRESIDENT | $1,295,667 | $997,808,443 | Filing |
How this pay was reported
The parts of each total, as reported on the return for the fiscal year ending June 2025.
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202641339349303109.View the filing
| Part VII | Schedule J | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and title | From org | Other | Base | Bonus | Other | Deferred | Nontaxable | Total |
| SYLVIA M BURWELLDIST. FELLOW & FORMER PRESIDENT | $1,538,403 | $31,818 | $1,109,102 | $230,888 | $198,413 | $6,130 | $25,688 | $1,570,221 |
| BRONTE BURLEIGH-JONESCFO, VP & TREASURER | $598,385 | $117,920 | $549,245 | $49,140 | $0 | $104,828 | $13,092 | $716,305 |
| SETH GROSSMANLECTURER & FORMER VP, PPL & EXT. AFFAIRS | $521,437 | $165,791 | $163,039 | $34,500 | $323,898 | $164,581 | $1,210 | $687,228 |
| VICKY WILKINSPROF./CAO AS OF 5/25 INT. THRU 4/25 | $626,797 | $34,425 | $575,297 | $51,500 | $0 | $30,042 | $4,383 | $661,222 |
| TRAEVENA L BYRDVP, UNI. COUNSEL & BOT SEC | $598,929 | $44,422 | $506,689 | $46,120 | $46,120 | $26,189 | $18,233 | $643,351 |
| JONATHAN R ALGERPRESIDENT AS OF 7/24 | $515,258 | $54,684 | $490,258 | $0 | $25,000 | $4,150 | $50,534 | $569,942 |
These figures come from American University's Form 990 returns, as the IRS publishes them. The methodology page explains how they're chosen. To report an error, email corrections@ceopaycheck.com.
How American University compares
Ranked 95th of 100 universities by president's pay.
Closest in revenue among the universities on this site:
Bard College$689,293 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
University of Dayton$2,681,214 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Savannah College of Art and Design$5,736,005 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
DePaul University$1,189,697 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
University of Denver$1,209,539 (Chancellor), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Common questions
JONATHAN R ALGER (PRESIDENT AS OF 7/24) was paid $569,942 for the fiscal year ending June 2025: $515,258 from American University and $54,684 in other compensation (Part VII columns D and F). American University ranks 95th of 100 universities on this site by president's pay.
The highest-paid person on the latest return was SYLVIA M BURWELL (DIST. FELLOW & FORMER PRESIDENT), at $1,570,221. That is $1,000,279 more than the president, JONATHAN R ALGER. Next was BRONTE BURLEIGH-JONES (CFO, VP & TREASURER), at $716,305. On the latest return, 11 people were paid more than $500,000, 1 of them more than $1 million.
American University paid its president, JONATHAN R ALGER, $569,942 for the fiscal year ending June 2025. On the return for the fiscal year ending June 2024, the president was SYLVIA M BURWELL, paid $1,546,831. The earliest return on record is for the fiscal year ending June 2022, when the president was SYLVIA M BURWELL, paid $1,295,667. By fiscal year end: June 2022, $1,295,667 (SYLVIA M BURWELL); June 2023, $2,136,599; June 2024, $1,546,831; June 2025, $569,942 (JONATHAN R ALGER).
From the 4 Form 990 returns American University filed with the IRS for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. Schedule J of the fiscal year ending June 2025 return breaks down pay for all 6 people in the pay breakdown above. The methodology page explains how they're chosen.