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. Total revenue on that return was $929,602,491, down 0.8% from $937,058,878 for the fiscal year ending June 2024. American University ranks 129th of 137 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 17%
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025, IRS object ID 202641339349303109.View the filing
Peers: the 131 other universities on this site. Ranked 109th of 132 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 |
Also paid on the latest return: Matthew Bennett (VP & CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS), $611,794; Jonathan R Alger (PRESIDENT AS OF 7/24), $569,942; David Marchick (DEAN & PROFESSOR), $556,162; Evelyn Thimba (VP, UG ENROLL. MGMT), $546,854; Claudio Grossman (PROFESSOR), $539,051; Courtney Surls (FORMER VP DEV. & ALUM REL. THRU 6/24), $525,840; Steve Munson (VP & CIO), $490,311; Erdal Tekin (PROFESSOR), $471,555; Duane Simpkins (HEAD BASKETBALL COACH), $444,711; Raymond Lu Ming Ou (VP, STUDENT AFFAIRS), $443,618; Parthiban David (PROFESSOR), $426,389; Sarah Baldassaro (CHIEF OF STAFF), $418,824; Heather Hughes (INT. DEAN WCL AS OF 7/24), $380,494; Daniel Luperchio (INT.VP, UNI ADV AS OF 7/24 THRU 6/25), $361,932; Nkenge Friday (VP INCLUSIVE EXCEL.), $318,799; and 2 more.
Also listed in Part VII of the latest return, with no pay reported: Charles H Lydecker (CHAIR AS OF 5/25 V. CHAIR THRU 5/25), Gaurdie Banister Jr (VICE CHAIR AS OF 5/25), Janice M Abraham (TRUSTEE), Gina F Adams (CHAIR & TRUSTEE THRU 5/25), Sally Amoruso (TRUSTEE), Stephanie M Bennett-Smith (TRUSTEE), Wesley G Bush (TRUSTEE THRU 5/25), Jack C Cassell (TRUSTEE), Debra K Decker (TRUSTEE AS OF 2/25), Pamela M Deese (TRUSTEE), Marc N Duber (TRUSTEE), Reverend Latrelle Easterling (TRUSTEE), Hani Ms Farsi (TRUSTEE), Roland Fernandes (TRUSTEE AS OF 7/24), Victoria C Harker (TRUSTEE), Mehdi Heravi (TRUSTEE), Robert W Johnson (TRUSTEE AS OF 5/25), Michael W Kempner (TRUSTEE), Amy V Kothari (TRUSTEE), Margery Kraus (TRUSTEE), Gerald Bruce Lee (TRUSTEE), Betsy A Mangone (TRUSTEE THRU 5/25), Alan L Meltzer (TRUSTEE), Fernando Lewis Navarro (TRUSTEE), Matthew S Pittinsky (TRUSTEE), and 4 more.
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 129th of 137 universities by president's pay.
- Previous in this ranking: 128th, Loyola University Maryland, $600,783
- Next in this ranking: 130th, University of Tampa, $503,840
Closest in revenue among the universities on this site:
Bard College$689,293 (President), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Villanova University$0 (President), fiscal year ending May 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
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).
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.
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).
American University's return for the fiscal year ending June 2025 reports total expenses of $942,997,702 and total revenue of $929,602,491 (Part I, lines 18 and 12), so expenses exceeded revenue by $13,395,211. Expenses were $918,431,551 for the fiscal year ending June 2024, so they rose 2.7%. The president's pay of $569,942 equals 0.06% of expenses, our calculation.
From the 4 Form 990 returns American University filed with the IRS for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. The latest full-year return was filed on May 13, 2026. Schedule J of the fiscal year ending June 2025 return breaks down pay for all 6 people in the pay breakdown above.