Chapman University Acceptance Rate, Ranking, & Tuition 2024

April 20, 2024

Chapman University is a private, R-2 research university located in Orange, California. It was originally founded as Hesperian College in 1861—its inauguration was meant to coincide with the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln. Since then, the school has merged and changed locations many times until it became Chapman College in 1934 and, finally, Chapman University in 1991. With a small undergraduate population—7,656 undergraduates—Chapman is able to provide a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. This high level of contact with faculty serves to meet the university’s overall goal of a personalized education experience (for the Chapman University acceptance rate, scroll down).

Chapman University’s mission statement is: “to provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical and productive lives as global citizens.”

Chapman’s student statistics help shed light on the institution’s ability to live up to its mission statement. As of the spring of 2024, Chapman’s data indicates that:

20 percent of students are first-generation
40 percent of students identify as Persons of Color (POC)
175+ student organizations
40:60 male-to-female ratio

Chapman University Acceptance Rate (Continued)

92 percent of first-year students live on campus
89 percent of students stay on campus during their second year
42 percent of students study abroad

Along with the more than 7,000 undergraduates, there are 2,345 graduate students, making for a student body of more than 10,000 people. As of 2024, students come from 49 different states, 2 territories, and 82 different countries.

Chapman Acceptance Rate

While Chapman is ranked in the top 15 percent of American colleges and universities, this private powerhouse has a generous acceptance rate while maintaining a student population on par with many liberal arts colleges.

In the Fall of 2022, there were 13,690 applicants: 5,055 identified as male and 8,635 identified as female. Chapman admitted 73 percent of applicants, and 21 percent of them enrolled.

Your GPA is required and considered, but SAT and ACT scores, while considered, are not mandatory to apply. However, the median (50th percentile) standardized test scores for admission break out as follows:

SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 650
SAT Math: 650
ACT Composite: 29
ACT English: 30
ACT Math: 27

The above data all comes from the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator database.

Chapman University Ranking

The Princeton Review writes that Chapman is an “extraordinary blend of liberal arts, science and professional programs.” They also consider Chapman to be one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education.

With an excellent student-to-faculty ratio (12:1) and a careful focus on teaching, it’s no wonder that Chapman gets its fair share of attention for the level of education—and alumni—it’s turning out.

The university proudly plays host to the following highly-ranked programs and aspects of campus life:

#48 (tied) for best undergraduate in teaching, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#133 (tied) in the National Universities group, an elevated category that includes 391 of the leading private and public research universities across the United States, from Princeton and Harvard to UCLA and UC Berkeley, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#4 of the Top American Film Schools, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, ranked by The Hollywood Reporter
#58 (tied) in Most Innovative Schools, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#87 (tied) in Best Colleges for Veterans, ranked by U.S. News & World Report

(Continued) Chapman University Acceptance Rate

The Princeton Review lists Chapman in its 388 Best Colleges guide
The Templeton Foundation included Chapman in its Honor Roll for Character Building Colleges
#109 (tied) in best law schools category, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#60 in best business schools 2023-2024 (full-time MBA), Argyros College, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#92 (tied) in best speech-language pathology programs, the M.S. in Communication Sciences Disorders at Crean College, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#96 (tied) in best Physician Assistant programs, the Master of Medical Sciences PA Studies Program at Crean College, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#97 (tied) in best physical therapy programs, Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Crean College, ranked by U.S. News & World Report
#99 (tied) in best pharmacy schools, School of Pharmacy, ranked by U.S. News & World Report

Chapman University Tuition

Chapman is an exceptional school that comes with the private, not-for-profit price tag. That means that tuition and fees will be higher than state schools, but the opportunity for grants and scholarships from private endowments may be higher than other schools—and could offset your cost.

The price tag for tuition and fees 2023–2024 rang up at $62,784.
Books and supplies were estimated to cost $1,600.
Students who wanted to live on campus shelled out $17,378 for food and housing.
Other on-campus expenses were estimated at $3,318.

That means the total cost for an undergraduate student living on campus in the 2023–24 academic year was roughly $85,000.

How does that square up against the average financial aid package? Great question.

The average amount of grants and scholarships (meaning: financial aid that doesn’t have to be paid back) for full-time, first-year students is about $33,510.

The largest chunk of change for that average figure came from Chapman itself, which means the university is working to offset tuition costs for eligible students.

Chapman University Acceptance Rate (Continued)

On average, first-year students are also taking out about $7,000 in federal and private student loans.

All things considered, that financial aid has the power to dramatically reduce the cost at Chapman. In the 2021–2022 academic year, the average “net price” for full-time, first-year students was a little more than $45,000.

If we consider that the estimated total cost was about $85,000, that means financial aid has the capacity to lower Chapman costs by about $40,000, which is substantial.

That number also changes depending on an incoming student’s family income.

For students who were helped by Title IV aid on the basis of family income, the numbers break out like this in 2021–2022:

For students with family income between $0–$30,000, the average net price was $33,467.
For students with family income between $30,001–$48,000, the average net price was $31,197.
For students with family income between $48,001–$75,000, the average net price was $35,244.
For students with family income between $75,001–$110,000, the average net price was $39,808.
For students with family income of $110,001 and more, the average net price was $53,059.

This means that students whose families earn less are paying substantially less than families who earn more, which may make Chapman more accessible for some students.

The above data all comes from the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator database.

Chapman University Notable Alumni

Are you a fan of Saturday Night Live? How about TV shows like Strangers Things and Full (or Fuller) House? Or maybe you’ve heard of the movies Dear White People and Orange County? With high-ranking programs in cinematography and film and video production, Chapman is never lacking for notable alumni—some of whom regularly stream their way into your home. Check out this list of some of the university’s most well-known names:

Colin Hanks, actor in films like Orange County and King Kong. Son of Tom Hanks.
Leslie Jones, comedian, Saturday Night Live cast member and writer. Actress in films like Ghostbusters and Coming 2 America.
Jodie Sweetin, actress in Full House and Fuller House
Justin Simien, filmmaker, actor, and author; director of Dear White People
Ryan Bergara, creator of documentary entertainment web series BuzzFeed Unsolved
Matt Duffer, film and television writer, director, producer, and co-creator of Stranger Things
Ross Duffer, film and television writer, director, and producer
Cooper Hefner, chief creative officer and chief of global partnerships of Playboy Enterprises

Chapman University Acceptance Rate (Continued)

George Argyros, U.S. Ambassador to Spain and former owner of Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball
David E. Bonior, United States House of Representatives from Michigan (1977–2003), House Minority Whip (1995–2002), House Majority Whip (1991–95)
Joanna Rosholm, press secretary to First Lady Michelle Obama
Loretta Sanchez, United States House of Representatives
Rob Schneiderman, United States House of Representatives
Tim Flannery, Major League Baseball player for eleven seasons and coach for San Francisco Giants
Randy Jones, former professional baseball player, San Diego Padres, New York Mets; 1976 Cy Young Award Winner
Kate Ziegler, 2012 Summer Olympics competitor and swimmer who specializes in freestyle and long-distance

The Panther network is strong: there are more than 50,000 Chapman alumni worldwide.

Where is Chapman University?

The lovely and historic Chapman campus is located in Orange, California. Orange sits, unsurprisingly, in Orange County, just outside of Anaheim and Santa Ana. It’s about 35 miles south of Los Angeles. The charming Orange Old Town District contains many historic homes built before 1920, which is unusual for the area.

The campus is just 15 miles from the beach, and there are many state and regional parks in the vicinity, like Limestone Canyon Regional Park, making hiking and outdoor recreation accessible. Students can access the entire southern California coastline and urban centers while still enjoying the sense of belonging that comes with living on a designated college campus.

Chapman University Majors

At Chapman University, students have the opportunity to take advantage of 65 bachelor programs, 57 minor options, 17 accelerated and bridge programs, 53 master programs, and 6 doctoral programs.

According to the United States Department of Education IPEDS, the top 10 most popular majors for 2022 graduates at Chapman were:

Major	Percentage of 2022 Graduating Class
Business administration and management	22.5%
Cinematography and film/video production	9.4%
Psychology	6.5%
Health services administration	5.4%
Business/corporate communications	5.3%
Speech communication and rhetoric	4.5%
Political science and government Education	3.5% 3%
Computer science	2.4%

Chapman University Acceptance Rate — Review

Chapman Panthers belong to a substantial, global network of individuals rooted in a liberal arts and science-based education with an emphasis on professional training. The campus location puts you in reach of tons of personal and career-oriented opportunities, and the financial aid options could bring Chapman in reach for a diverse population of students.

If you’re looking for a low student-to-faculty ratio and an exceptional classroom experience with a strong focus on your individual development, add Chapman to your list!

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Brittany Borghi

After earning a BA in Journalism and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa, Brittany spent five years as a full-time lecturer in the Rhetoric Department at the University of Iowa. Additionally, she’s held previous roles as a researcher, full-time daily journalist, and book editor. Brittany’s work has been featured in The Iowa Review, The Hopkins Review, and the Pittsburgh City Paper, among others, and she was also a 2021 Pushcart Prize nominee.