The American University of Afghanistan
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersKabul, Afghanistan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
The American University of Afghanistan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The American University of Afghanistan
- Legal name
- The American University of Afghanistan
- Website
- https://auaf.edu.af
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The American University of Afghanistan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)
Keywords
Where The American University of Afghanistan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kabul
- HQ country
- Afghanistan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
The American University of Afghanistan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Scholarships: As a non-profit private university, AUAF operates primarily through charitable donations. The university partners with Friends of AUAF (a 501(c)(3) organization) to process U.S. gifts and scholarships. All undergraduate students receive full scholarships to attend, funded by these donations. The university does not charge tuition to undergraduate students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Full scholarship for undergraduate students (Associate and Bachelor programs) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The American University of Afghanistan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The American University of Afghanistan is a non-profit, private liberal arts university delivering fully online Associate, Bachelor, and Master of Business Administration degree programs to Afghan men and women through live interactive virtual classes. All undergraduate students receive full scholarships funded by charitable donations processed via Friends of AUAF. Operating from a hub in Doha, Qatar after physical campuses in Afghanistan closed in 2021, AUAF serves as the only reputable source of liberal higher education accessible to women in Afghanistan.
Product overview
The American University of Afghanistan is a non-profit online university offering a comprehensive liberal arts education to Afghan men and women. The institution provides a portfolio of academic degree programs at the associate, bachelor, and graduate levels across disciplines including Business Administration, Computer Science, Development Studies, and Liberal Arts. These programs are delivered fully online through live virtual classes with small class sizes. Beyond academics, AUAF offers an integrated ecosystem of student support services including academic advising, peer mentoring, tutoring, writing support, emotional support services, and post-graduate career support. The university operates a dual degree partnership with Bard College and maintains accreditation through ACBSP for business programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Associate of Business Administration A two-year undergraduate degree with a focus area in Business, providing broad understanding across multiple disciplines with emphasis on critical thinking and communication skills. Delivered online to Afghan students.
- Associate of Arts in General Liberal Arts A two-year undergraduate degree focusing on liberal arts disciplines, developing key intellectual skills through exploration of humanities, social sciences, and formal sciences.
- Associate of Arts in Computer Science A two-year undergraduate degree introducing foundational computer science concepts and programming skills.
- Bachelor of Business Administration An undergraduate degree with concentrations in Finance or Management, providing comprehensive grounding in business disciplines culminating in a capstone project.
- Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies An undergraduate degree focusing on development frameworks, policy analysis, and Afghanistan's political landscape and paths to economic development.
- Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science An undergraduate degree where students build upon foundational courses, with third and fourth year courses primarily in the major culminating in a senior project.
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) A graduate degree providing comprehensive education in business and management principles, preparing students for leadership roles. Scholarships are considered on a case-by-case basis.
- AUAF-Bard College Dual Associate Degree Program A dual associate degree program in partnership with Bard College enabling eligible AUAF undergraduate students to earn two degrees simultaneously: an AUAF Associate Degree and the Bard Global Associate in Liberal Arts degree, with Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation.
- AUAF Funded Scholarships Scholarships funded directly by AUAF to support an economically diverse student body; all undergraduates currently receive full scholarships for Associate and Bachelor programs.
- Externally Funded Scholarships
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,085 students enrolled with 75%+ women
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The American University of Afghanistan
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The American University of Afghanistan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
The American University of Afghanistan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Friends of AUAF (FAUAF)coreFriends of AUAF (EIN 26-3639601) is AUAF's partner organization for processing U.S. gifts. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that connects donors with the university. Interested donors can connect with AUAF through this partner organization at friendsofauaf.org.
- Bard CollegecoreAUAF offers a dual associates degree program in partnership with Bard College and their global degree program. Eligible AUAF undergraduate students can earn two degrees simultaneously: an AUAF Associate Degree and the Bard Global Associate in Liberal Arts degree. This partnership provides internationally recognized credentials from the Middle States Commission for Higher Education.
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)coreAUAF's Business Department programs are accredited by ACBSP, following the Baldrige model. This accreditation focuses on recognizing teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and continuous improvement. The accreditation makes transfer credit and articulation agreements with other ACBSP institutions easier for students.
- Middle States Commission for Higher EducationcoreAUAF's partnership with Bard College provides access to accreditation through the Middle States Commission for Higher Education, ensuring internationally recognized credentials for dual degree program participants.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The American University of Afghanistan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- BRAC University: Bangladesh-based university founded by BRAC, focused on development-oriented higher education for students from low-income South Asian contexts; comparable in development-focused curriculum and in targeting students from underserved regions, including Afghanistan.
- Coursera (Online Degrees): Online degree platform partnering with accredited universities to deliver fully-online, globally accessible degrees; represents the broader category of online-first degree programs that AUAF's model sits within, with different cost and accreditation economics.
Direct peers
- American University of Central Asia: American-style liberal arts university operating in Kyrgyzstan with a similar model of providing English-medium liberal arts higher education in a post-conflict Central Asian context; directly comparable in mission, structure, and donor-funded operating model.
- Asian University for Women: Independent, international liberal arts university in Bangladesh serving women from across South and Central Asia, including Afghanistan; AUAF faculty have taught there, and AUW operates a comparable donor-funded scholarship model targeting women from restricted-education regions.
Broad incumbents
- Bard College: AUAF's core academic partner, providing dual-degree and accreditation pathways through the Bard Global Associate in Liberal Arts; Bard is a broader liberal arts institution with global reach, and the partnership makes Bard a structural counterparty for AUAF's degree-granting model.
- Stanford University (Online / FSI): Major U.S. university with which AUAF has faculty affiliations (visiting professors) and whose name appears in AUAF's board network; competes for the same English-language online higher-education audience as AUAF's diaspora students.
- American University of Beirut: Long-established American-style university in the Middle East with a large international student body, including Afghans; serves as a comparator for the regional American-university brand model and as a potential landing school for AUAF graduates seeking to continue studies abroad.
Regional players
- Qatar University: Public university headquartered in Doha, Qatar — the same city as AUAF's operational hub; while Qatar University is a domestic public institution and does not directly compete with AUAF's Afghan-focused mission, it represents the local higher-education ecosystem in which AUAF operates from exile.
- Zayed University: UAE-based university where several AUAF faculty previously taught; serves as a regional peer in the Gulf higher-education ecosystem and a comparable employer of international liberal-arts faculty in the region.
Others
- NYU Shanghai: NYU's Shanghai campus where an AUAF faculty member previously served; while not a direct competitor, it represents the global network of branch campuses that recruit from the same international student pool that AUAF's diaspora segment targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The American University of Afghanistan social profiles
Digital presenceThe American University of Afghanistan compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The American University of Afghanistan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The American University of Afghanistan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
The American University of Afghanistan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The American University of Afghanistan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The American University of Afghanistan
What does The American University of Afghanistan do?
The American University of Afghanistan is a non-profit, private liberal arts university delivering fully online Associate, Bachelor, and Master of Business Administration degree programs to Afghan men and women through live interactive virtual classes. All undergraduate students receive full scholarships funded by charitable donations processed via Friends of AUAF. Operating from a hub in Doha, Qatar after physical campuses in Afghanistan closed in 2021, AUAF serves as the only reputable source of liberal higher education accessible to women in Afghanistan.
Is The American University of Afghanistan a public or private company?
The American University of Afghanistan is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The American University of Afghanistan founded?
The American University of Afghanistan was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The American University of Afghanistan based?
The American University of Afghanistan is headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan, in the Asia region.
How does The American University of Afghanistan make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Scholarships.
Who are The American University of Afghanistan's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are BRAC University and Coursera (Online Degrees). Direct peers are American University of Central Asia and Asian University for Women. Broad incumbents are Bard College, Stanford University (Online / FSI) and American University of Beirut. Regional players are Qatar University and Zayed University. NYU Shanghai is listed as an others.
Does The American University of Afghanistan have an API?
No public API is recorded for The American University of Afghanistan.
What industry is The American University of Afghanistan in?
The American University of Afghanistan's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAA, Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting), with a secondary code of EDAHALAK, Online Nonprofit Universities. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.