Resources › For Students and Parents The American Athletic Conference Learn About the Diverse Universities that Make Up The American Print For Students and Parents College Life Outside The Classroom Before You Arrive Academics Health, Safety, and Nutrition Living On Campus Roommates Graduation & Beyond Homework Help Private School Test Prep College Admissions Graduate School Business School Law School Distance Learning View More By Allen Grove Allen Grove College Admissions Expert Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on December 28, 2017 The American Athletic Conference, typically called simply "The American," is the result of the 2013 break-up and reorganization of the Big East Conference. The American is one of the most geographically spread out conferences with member schools ranging from Texas to New England. The member institutions are all relatively large comprehensive universities, both public and private. The conference headquarters are in Providence, Rhode Island. The American Athletic Conference is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA's Division I. 01 of 12 East Carolina University East Carolina University Science and Technology Building. General Wesc / Flickr East Carolina University is the second largest university in North Carolina. Most of the school's strongest and most popular majors are in professional fields such as business, communications, education, nursing and technology. Location: Greenville, North Carolina School type: Public University Enrollment: 28,962 (22,969 undergraduates) Team: Pirates For acceptance rates, test scores, costs and financial aid data, see the East Carolina profile. 02 of 12 Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University. ruthieonart / Flickr SMU is a selective private university located in the University Park area of Dallas, Texas. Students can choose from 80 majors offered through the five schools that make up the university. SMU consistently ranks among the top 100 universities in the country. Location: Dallas, Texas School type: private university Enrollment: 11,739 (6,521 undergraduates) Team: Mustangs GPA, SAT and ACT graph for SMU admission For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the SMU profile. 03 of 12 Temple University Temple University. elmoz / Flickr Temple students can choose from over 125 bachelor degree programs and 170 student clubs and organizations. The business, education, and media programs are popular among undergraduates. The university has an urban campus in North Philadelphia. Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania School type: public university Enrollment: 39,296 (29,275 undergraduates) Team: Owls GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Temple admission For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Temple profile. 04 of 12 Tulane University Tulane University. AuthenticEccentric / Flickr Tulane is a highly selective member of the American Athletic Conference, and the university ranks well among national universities. Strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned Tulane a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and quality research earned it membership in the Association of American Universities. Location: New Orleans, Louisiana School type: Private University Enrollment: 12,581 (7,924 undergraduates) C-USA Division: West Team: Green Wave For acceptance rates, test scores, costs and financial aid data, see the Tulane profile. Read More Colonial Athletic Association By Allen Grove 05 of 12 University of Central Florida UCF Knight. Photo Credit: Allen Grove The University of Central Florida is one of the largest public universities in the country. The school has experienced rapid growth since the 1990s, but high achieving students can still find a more intimate educational experience through the Burnett Honors College. Location: Orlando, Florida School type: public university Enrollment: 64,088 (55,723 undergraduates) Team: Knights Explore the campus: UCF Photo Tour GPA, SAT and ACT graph for UCF admission For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the UCF profile. 06 of 12 University of Cincinnati University of Cincinnati. puroticorico / Flickr This large public university is made up of 16 colleges offering students 167 bachelor degree programs. Strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the school a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Location: Cincinnati, Ohio School type: public university Enrollment: 36,596 (25,820 undergraduates) Team: Bearcats GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Cincinnati admission For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the Cincinnati profile. 07 of 12 University of Connecticut University of Connecticut. Matthias Rosenkranz / Flickr The Storrs campus of the University of Connecticut is the state's flagship institution. The university is made up of ten schools and colleges that offer students a huge range of academic options. UConn is the northernmost school in The American Athletic Conference. Location: Storrs, Connecticut School type: public university Enrollment: 27,721 (19,324 undergraduates) Team: Huskies GPA, SAT and ACT graph for UConn admission For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the UConn profile. 08 of 12 University of Houston University of Houston. William Holtkamp / Flickr U of H in Houston is the flagship campus of the University of Houston system. Students can choose from roughly 110 major and minor programs. Business is particularly popular among undergraduates. Location: Houston, Texas School type: public university Enrollment: 43,774 (35,995 undergraduates) Team: Cougars GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Houston admission For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the University of Houston profile. 09 of 12 University of Memphis University of Memphis. bcbuckner / Flickr The University of Memphis is a large public university and the flagship research institution in the Tennessee Board of Regents system. The attractive campus features red-brick buildings and Jeffersonian architecture in a park-like environment. Journalism, nursing, business, and education are all strong. Location: Memphis, Tennessee School type: public university Enrollment: 21,301 (17,183 undergraduates) Team: Tigers For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the University of Memphis profile. 10 of 12 University of South Florida USF Water Tower. sylvar / Flickr The University of South Florida is a large public university that offers 228 degree programs through its 11 colleges. The university has an active Greek system, a strong ROTC program, and an Honors College for high achieving students. Location: North Tampa, Florida School type: public university Enrollment: 42,861 (31,461 undergraduates) Team: Bulls GPA, SAT and ACT graph for USF admission For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, see the USF profile. 11 of 12 University of Tulsa University of Tulsa. imarcc / Flickr The University of Tulsa is a selective, private Oklahoma university. The university has an unusual and well-respected program in petroleum engineering, and strong liberal arts and sciences earned Tulsa a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma School type: Private University (Presbyterian) Enrollment: 4,563 (3,406 undergraduates) Team: Golden Hurricane For acceptance rates, test scores, costs and financial aid data, see the Tulsa profile. 12 of 12 Wichita State University Baseball - Wichita State vs. Creighton. White & Blue Review / Flickr Wichita State University joined the conference in 2017. One of the smaller schools in the conference, WSU offers a range of majors, with professional choices being among the most popular. In athletics, the WSU Shockers compete in baseball, basketball, softball, tennis, track and field, and cross country. Location: Wichita, Kansas School type: Public University Enrollment: 14,166 (11,585 undergraduates) Team: Shockers For acceptance rates, test scores, costs and financial aid data, see the Wichita State profile Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Grove, Allen. "The American Athletic Conference." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/american-athletic-conference-788347. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 27). The American Athletic Conference. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/american-athletic-conference-788347 Grove, Allen. "The American Athletic Conference." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/american-athletic-conference-788347 (accessed April 24, 2024). copy citation