Chapman University
About
Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California, United States. Encompassing eleven colleges, the university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The school maintains its founding affiliations with the Christian Church and the United Church of Christ, but is a secular university.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than non-Pell students here — unusual and worth investigating.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 89 Title IV programs, 36 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 52 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing36 · 40.4%
- No Data52 · 58.4%
- Failing1 · 1.1%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 11
Action history · 10
- Jun 2024Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education · Pharmacy (PHAR) - Professional degree programs
- Jun 2023Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jan 2021Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education · Pharmacy (PHAR) - Professional degree programs
- Jun 2020Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education · Pharmacy (PHAR) - Professional degree programs
- Feb 2019Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
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, 1,938 students received $11.5M in Pell grants, alongside $119.6M 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 1,582 borrowers who entered repayment, 11 (0.6%) 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 Chapman
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
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 14
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus21
- Non-campus14
- Public property2
Includes 11 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Religion1
- National origin1
- Sexual orientation1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Chapman vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Chapman 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectChapman University | 82% | — | 9,760 | $47,527 | R2 Research |
Clarkson University | 75% | 77.4% | 3,348 | $31,955 | R2 Research |
Duquesne University | 77% | 83.6% | 8,234 | $34,978 | R2 Research |
Fordham University | 82% | 59.3% | 16,150 | $42,581 | R2 Research |
Loyola Marymount University | 79% | 45.1% | 10,179 | $45,723 | R2 Research |
Mercer University | 70% | 68.9% | 9,196 | $22,350 | R2 Research |
University of San Diego | 84% | 52.4% | 9,714 | $31,265 | R2 Research |
| Peer group median | 79% | 64.1% | 9,714 | $34,978 |
Chapman Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
To serve the Chapman community by providing accurate, timely, and actionable data that informs decisions and improves student success.
Visit IR office page- Marisol Arredondo Samson, Ph.D.Director
- Robert PankeyAssistant Director
- Carlos Lopez Henderson, Ph.D.Senior Analyst
- Natalie NazarenoData and Reporting Analyst
Common Data Set (1)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionInstitutional Data | Chapman UniversityThe page provides details about the Institutional Data resources at Chapman University, including the Institutional DataMart and Panther Analytics platform, which are tools used for data collection, analysis, and reporting. It also mentions the external sharing of institutional data through IRADS for comparison with competitor institutions. Data gathered is used for official reporting and can be accessed by various stakeholders for informed decision-making.chapman.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Factbook2017 University Profile2017The 2017-2018 Chapman University Fact Book provides a comprehensive overview of the institution's leadership, vision, mission, history, commitments, academic programs, and accreditation. Key leadership positions and members of the board are listed alongside the university's strategic commitments and mission to foster a diverse academic environment. The document outlines detailed academic offerings across various colleges and schools and highlights accreditation from respected bodies, underscoring the university's commitment to educational excellence and international standards.chapman.edu
- Strategic planOur Path to Greatness2023Chapman University's Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2028, titled 'Our Path to Greatness,' outlines five key strategic priorities. These priorities include enhancing academic excellence, expanding graduate health science programs, fostering organizational excellence through development tools and technology, enhancing community-building via campus projects, and completing a $500 million comprehensive giving campaign. The plan aims to ensure Chapman's growth and success, with a long-term goal of raising the endowment to $2 billion by 2037.chapman.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of Chapman (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Cooper HefnerBusiness
- Jeff LewisBusiness
- Matt DufferEntertainment
- Ross DufferEntertainment
- Erika CohnEntertainment
- Anastasia BaranovaEntertainment
- George ArgyrosPolitics
- David E. BoniorPolitics
- Randy JonesSports
- Stephen NelsonSports
- Justin SimienEntertainment
- Leslie JonesEntertainment
Frequently asked questions about Chapman University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Chapman.
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