Abilene Christian University - Undergraduate Online
About
Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian research university in Abilene, Texas, United States. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an R2 institution. It was founded in 1906 as Childers Classical Institute. It is affiliated with Churches of Christ.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 16
Action history · 27
- Feb 2026Renewal of AccreditationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
- Feb 2025Approved for Distance EducationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Dec 2024Grant Substantive Change: OtherAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree
- Apr 2024Renewal of AccreditationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
- Dec 2023Removal of Monitoring StatusSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 2,326 students received $14.3M in Pell grants, alongside $52.0M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,335 borrowers who entered repayment, 23 (1.7%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at ACU
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
ACU vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions ACU selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectAbilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online | — | — | 1,224 | $12,714 | — |
| 50% | 49.2% | 242 | $18,354 | — | |
| 100% | 100.0% | 48 | $31,680 | — | |
| 25% | — | 432 | $18,898 | — | |
| 0% | 90.6% | 96 | $6,594 | — | |
| — | — | 124 | — | — | |
| 6% | 89.3% | 81 | $7,240 | — | |
| 11% | — | 185 | $9,078 | — | |
| 0% | 100.0% | 101 | $6,055 | — | |
| 31% | — | 98 | $10,556 | — | |
| Peer group median | 18% | 90.6% | 113 | $10,556 |
Institutions like ACU
Explore the federal data for institutions in ACU's comparison group.
- Missouri
Evangel University-College of Online Learning
Grad rate50%Admit rate49.2%Enrollment242Net price$18,354View data - Washington
Great Northern University
Grad rate100%Admit rate100.0%Enrollment48Net price$31,680View data - Georgia
Morris Brown College
Grad rate25%Admit rate—Enrollment432Net price$18,898View data - New Jersey
Rabbinical Seminary Mkor Chaim
Grad rate0%Admit rate90.6%Enrollment96Net price$6,594View data - North Carolina
Watts College of Nursing
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment124Net price—View data - New Jersey
Yeshiva Gedolah Tiferes Boruch
Grad rate6%Admit rate89.3%Enrollment81Net price$7,240View data - New York
Yeshiva of Kasho
Grad rate11%Admit rate—Enrollment185Net price$9,078View data - New Jersey
Yeshivas Emek Hatorah
Grad rate0%Admit rate100.0%Enrollment101Net price$6,055View data - New York
Yeshivas Sanz Klauzenburg
Grad rate31%Admit rate—Enrollment98Net price$10,556View data
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planACU launches bold five-year strategic plan2022Abilene Christian University has launched a bold five-year strategic plan focusing on elevating their academic brand, enhancing student experiences, and promoting a diverse and inclusive community. Key goals include growing enrollment to 8,800, achieving Research 2 status, and increasing the university's endowment to $1 billion. The plan, guided by President Dr. Phil Schubert, aims to leverage ACU's financial strength to pursue strategic opportunities and infrastructure improvements to better meet the needs of students and staff.acu.edu
Grants & funding (4)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Frequently asked questions about Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about ACU.
How many students attend Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online?
What is the average net price at Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online?
What is the yield rate at Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online?
Where is Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online located?
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