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The Lebanese American University (LAU; Arabic: الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية) is a secular private American university with campuses in Beirut, Byblos, and New York. It is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).[5] It has two campuses and offers 33 bachelor's degree programs and 24 master's degree programs in addition to Pharm.D. and M.D. degrees.[6]
الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية | |
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Former names | American Junior College for Women Beirut College for Women Beirut University College |
|---|---|
| Motto | To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1924 (post-secondary junior college)[1] |
| Endowment | $533.7 million (2020)[2] |
| President | Chaouki Abdallah |
| Provost | George Nasr |
Administrative staff | 318 full-time and 526 part-time faculty; 637 full-time and 188 part-time staff (fall 2017)[3] |
| Students | 9,084 (7,809 undergraduate, 1000 graduate, 275 doctoral-professional) (fall 2024)[3] |
| Location | Lebanon[4] |
| Campus | Beirut |
| Language | English |
| Other campuses | |
| Colours | Green • White |
| Website | www |
LAU has two main campuses, one in the capital Beirut and another in the city of Byblos, 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Beirut. LAU also has a small campus located in New York, NY.[7]
The Byblos campus, inaugurated in 1991, hosts the nursing, medicine, engineering and pharmacy programs, while most of the other programs are offered in both campuses.[citation needed] LAU's Beirut and Byblos campuses are respectively 2.54 hectares (6.3 acres) and 15.94 hectares (39.4 acres) in area.[citation needed]
On June 30, 2009, LAU acquired the LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital (LAUMC-RH).[8] LAUMC-RH offers medical services such as radiology and imaging, dialysis, endoscopy, dermatology, ophthalmology, IVF, and cardiology.[9] In 2013, LAU moved its New York City headquarters to mid-town Manhattan[10] and opened a new Executive Center in downtown Beirut.[11]
In April 2017, the LAU broke ground in its Byblos Campus on a new US$7 Million sports center, the "Antoun Nabil Sehnaoui - SGBL Athletics Center", donated by Lebanese banker and philanthropist Antoun Sehnaoui. The new center features an 8,500-square-metre (91,000 sq ft) athletics center, a swimming pool, a multipurpose indoor court, outdoor football, basketball and tennis fields, as well as a gym and several other related amenities.[12]
In March 2024, the New York academic center was converted into a degree-granting campus. The New York campus currently offers one bachelor's and six master's programs. Another bachelor's program is set to be launched in September 2025.[13]
The Lebanese American University is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Its business majors and economics major are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.[14]
Some of its programs are also accredited:
| Accreditor | Programs |
|---|---|
| ACPE | PharmD |
| ABET | BE in Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, Petroleum, and Mechanical Engineering BS in Computer Science |
| CCNE | BS in Nursing |
| AACSB | BS in Business Studies, Economics, Hospitality, and Tourism Management Master of Business Administration (MBA) Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA). |
| ACPHA | BS in Hospitality and Tourism management |
LAU's Bachelor of Architecture degree is recognized by the French Ministry of Culture & Communication and accredited by the NAAB (accreditation board).
LAU has seven schools divided into several departments.[15]
The university was ranked #251-300 in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2025 Rankings, tying it as the 5th highest ranked university in the Arab World. LAU received a score of 91.4 in the research quality indicator. Its business and economics programs were also ranked within the #251-300 range.
In the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), LAU was placed in the #501-600 bracket globally and 8th in the Arab World. The university's finance program was ranked #151-200, while both business administration and economics were placed in the #301-400 bracket.
The university was ranked #601-800 in Clinical and Health and #301-400 in Social Sciences in the THE World University Rankings by Subject. Additionally, LAU was ranked #401-450 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for electrical engineering and #351-400 for business. According to U.S. News & World Report, the university’s engineering program was ranked 585th globally.
Play productions
The university has three theaters: the Gulbenkian Theater and the Irwin in Beirut, and Selina Korban in Byblos. Student productions are required of certain majors and are presented throughout the academic year. The university also offers two major productions, one in the fall and one in the spring, and an annual international theater festival that attracts groups from other Middle Eastern universities.[27]
Varsity sports
Basketball, football, handball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, swimming, and rugby teams participate in various local, regional and international collegiate tournaments.[28]
Student governance
Students can participate in the decision-making process by voting and running in elections for the Campus Student Councils and the University Student Council, as well as the Graduate Student Committees.[29]
LAU has one library in Beirut (Riyad Nassar Library) and two in Byblos (Joseph G. Jabbra Library and Health Sciences library). The New York Headquarters and Academic Center also has its own library.[citation needed]
The Riyad Nassar Library in Beirut has more than 480000 print books and 11000 e-Books. It also hosts special collections related to women's studies, education, Islamic art, and architecture, as well as children's books.[30]
The Joseph G. Jabbra Library in Byblos, inaugurated in November 2018, is home to thousands of books and records and houses study rooms and library equipment.[citation needed]
In 1973, LAU established The Arab Institute for Women (AiW), previously known as the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW), with a mission to promote women's empowerment and gender equality in – and for – the Arab world.[31] The institute works on five key areas: Education, Research, Development Projects, Outreach, and LAU Engagement.[citation needed]
Alumni chapters
LAU has over 40,000 alumni and 42 chapters around the world, including Athens (Greece), Beirut, Byblos, Detroit (USA), Dubai (UAE), London (UK), Montreal (Canada).[32]
Notable alumni
- Lamis Mustafa Alami, Minister of Education in the Palestinian Authority
- Saloua Raouda Choucair, Lebanese painter and sculptor[33]
- Sethrida Geagea, member of the Lebanese Parliament
- Rose Ghurayeb, Lebanese writer and professor of Arabic literature
- Saniya Habboub, first Lebanese woman to study medicine abroad
- Mona Hatoum, Palestinian artist
- Toufic Jaber, Lebanon ambassador to Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Kosovo
- Ricardo Karam, Lebanese television presenter and producer
- Zaven Kouyoumdjian, Lebanese talk show host, television personality, media consultant, and author
- Rima Maktabi, TV presenter, news anchor, and journalist
- Emily Nasrallah, prominent Lebanese novelist
- Salwa Nassar, nuclear physicist[34]
- Octavia Nasr, journalist
- Nadine Wilson Njeim, Miss Lebanon 2007, actress, and TV presenter
- Selim El Sayegh, Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs[35]
- Mounira Solh, founder of Al Amal Institute for the Disabled and one of the first Lebanese women running for parliament
- Vick Vanlian, founder of interior design company Vick Vanlian / V World SAL
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