Chapman University Acceptance Rate, Ranking, & Tuition 2025
October 31, 2025
Chapman University is a private, R-2 research university located in Orange, California. It was originally founded as Hesperian College in 1861鈥攊ts inauguration was meant to coincide with the . Since then, the school has merged and changed locations many times until it became Chapman College in 1934 and, finally, Chapman University in 1991.听With a small undergraduate population鈥7,713 undergraduates鈥擟hapman is able to provide a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. This high level of contact with faculty serves to meet the university鈥檚 overall goal of a personalized education experience (for the Chapman University acceptance rate, scroll down).
Chapman University鈥檚 mission statement is: 鈥to provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical and productive lives as global citizens.鈥澨
Chapman鈥檚 student statistics help shed light on the institution鈥檚 ability to live up to its mission statement. As of the fall of 2025, Chapman鈥檚 data indicates that:听
- 21% of undergraduate students are first-generation听听
- 40% of students identify as Persons of Color (POC)
- 190 student organizations
- 39:61 male-to-female ratio
- 87% of first-year students live on campus
- Of which, 83% percent stay on campus during their second year
- 33% of students study abroad
Along with the more than 7,000 undergraduates, there are 2,047 graduate students, making for a student body of almost 10,000. As of 2025, students come from 50 different states, 4 territories, and 76 different countries.听
Chapman Acceptance Rate
While Chapman is ranked in the top 15% of American colleges and universities, this private powerhouse has a generous acceptance rate (depending on your major) while maintaining a student population on par with many liberal arts colleges.听听
In the fall of 2024, there were 15,625 applicants. Of those, 5,652 identified as male and 9,973 identified as female. Chapman admitted 65% of applicants, of which 15% enrolled.听
Your GPA is required and considered, but SAT and ACT scores, while considered, are not mandatory to apply. For the Class of 2028, the median (50th percentile) standardized test scores for admission break out as follows:听
- SAT EBRWriting: 680听
- SAT Math: 670听
- ACT Composite: 30听
- ACT English: 32
- ACT Math: 27听
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鈥檚 no wonder that Chapman gets its fair share of attention for the level of education鈥攁nd alumni鈥攊t鈥檚 turning out.听
The university proudly plays host to the following highly-ranked programs and aspects of campus life:听
- #110 in the National Universities group, an elevated category that includes 436 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听听
- #4 of the Top American Film Schools, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts – ranked by The Hollywood Reporter听
- #73 in Best Colleges for Veterans – ranked by U.S. News & World Report听
- The Princeton Review lists Chapman in its 390 Best Colleges guide
- #104 in best law schools category, 听– ranked by U.S. News & World Report
- #66 in best business schools 2023-2024 (full-time MBA), Argyros College – ranked by U.S. News & World Report
- #105 in best speech-language pathology programs, the M.S. in Communication Sciences Disorders at Crean College – ranked by U.S. News & World Report
- #58 in best Physician Assistant programs, the Master of Medical Sciences PA Studies Program at Crean College – ranked by U.S. News & World Report
- #93 in best physical therapy programs, Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Crean College – ranked by U.S. News & World Report听
- #80 in best pharmacy schools, School of Pharmacy – ranked by U.S. News & World Report听
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鈥攁nd could offset your cost.听
- The price tag for tuition and fees 2025鈥2026 rang up at $67,490.听
- Books and supplies were estimated to cost $1,600.听听
- Students who wanted to live on campus shelled out $20,454 for food and housing.听
- Other on-campus expenses were estimated at $3,700.听
That means the total cost for an undergraduate student living on campus in the 2025鈥26 academic year was $93,996.听听
Financial Aid at Chapman
How does that square up against the average financial aid package? Great question.听
The average amount of grants and scholarships (meaning: financial aid that doesn鈥檛 have to be paid back) for full-time, first-year students is about $34,600.听
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.听
On average, first-year students are also taking out about $7,000 in federal and private student loans.听
All things considered, that financial aid has the power to dramatically reduce the cost at Chapman. In the 2023鈥2024 academic year, the average 鈥渘et price鈥 for full-time, first-year students was a little more than $48,000.听
If we consider that the estimated total cost was about $93,000, that means financial aid has the capacity to lower Chapman costs by about $40,000, which is substantial.听
That number also changes depending on an incoming student鈥檚 family income.听
For students who were helped by Title IV aid on the basis of family income, the numbers break out like this in 2023鈥2024:听
- For students with family income between $0鈥$30,000, the average net price was $37,985.听
- For students with family income between $30,001鈥$48,000, the average net price was $40,713.
- For students with family income between $48,001鈥$75,000, the average net price was $39,414.听
- For students with family income between $75,001鈥$110,000, the average net price was $42,194.听
- For students with family income of $110,001 and more, the average net price was $54,519.
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.听
The above data all comes from the e.听
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鈥檝e 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鈥攕ome of whom regularly stream their way into your home. Check out this list of some of the university鈥檚 most well-known names:听
- Colin Hanks, actor in films like Orange County and King Kong. Son of Tom Hanks.听听
- Leslie Jones, comedian, Saturday Night Live cast member and writer. Actress in films like Ghostbusters and Coming 2 America.听
- Jodie Sweetin, actress in Full House and Fuller House听
- 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
- George Argyros, former 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鈥2003), House Minority Whip (1995鈥2002), House Majority Whip (1991鈥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
- , 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.听
Where is Chapman University?
The lovely and historic Chapman campus is located in . Orange sits, unsurprisingly, in Orange County, just outside of Anaheim and Santa Ana. It鈥檚 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.听
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.听
Chapman University Majors
At Chapman University, students have the opportunity to take advantage of 鈥65 bachelor programs, 57 minor options, 17 accelerated and bridge programs, 53 master programs, and 6 doctoral programs.听听
According to the United States Department of Education IPEDS, in a recent year, the top 10 most popular majors at Chapman were:听
| Major | Percentage of 2022 Graduating Class听 |
| 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 鈥 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.听
If you鈥檙e 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!听
Additional Resources
- 25 Best Colleges in California听
- Easiest & Hardest UCs and CSUs to Get Into
- 30 Best Colleges for Film
- How to Get Into Santa Clara University
- Colleges that Consider Demonstrated Interest
- How to Get Into USC
