American University of Armenia

The American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university in Yerevan, Armenia that is accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It is the first U.S.-accredited institution in the former Soviet Union that offers undergraduate and graduate education as of 2015.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the University of California (UC), and the Armenian government founded it in 1991, Armenia's first year of independence. The university is the country's first Western-style higher education institution, dedicated to teaching, research, and service; it offers master's degrees in ten fields and bachelor's degrees in seven.

The American University of Armenia is widely regarded as one of Armenia's top universities. Former Education Minister Armen Ashotyan (2009-2016), the US Embassy in Armenia, Armenian Weekly, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Armenian service, independent news agency CivilNet,, and other media outlets have all described it as such. In at least two rankings from the Armenian government and Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, AUA has been ranked second in the country, trailing Yerevan State University.

Website: aua.am