Chapman University

Orange, CA · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Chapman University admitted 65.4% of applicants university-wide (10,230 of 15,634).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide65.4%10,23015,634
Men63.9%3,6105,652
Women66.3%6,6129,973

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 10,230 admitted students, 1,631 enrolled (15.9% yield).

Chapman University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1280–1410
ACT (mid-50%)
28–31
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.50–3.99

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Chapman University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $97,176/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$69,990
Fees, housing, food, books & other$27,186
Sticker cost of attendance$97,176/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$33,559
$30k–48k$33,978
$48k–75k$33,709
$75k–110k$40,011
Over $110k$55,066

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Provost Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Trustee Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Trustee)
  • Chapman Achievement Award — Up to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
  • Chapman University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
  • Need-Based Financial Aid — Varies (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)

International applicants

Some aid available for internationals.

  • Provost Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Trustee Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Trustee)
  • Chapman Achievement Award — Up to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
  • Need-Based Financial Aid — Varies (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)

Chapman University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections G–H · 2025

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Common Application and Chapman University Questions
  • Letter of Recommendation (at least one, up to two)
  • School Report form
  • High School Transcript (unofficial)
  • Creative Supplement
  • SAT or ACT scores (if choosing to submit) (optional)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Common Application and Chapman University Questions
  • Letter of Recommendation (at least one, up to two)
  • School Report form
  • High School Transcript (unofficial)
  • Creative Supplement
  • SAT or ACT scores (if choosing to submit) (optional)
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Chapman University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:

  1. Why are you interested in attending Chapman University?500 words · Required

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$70,070
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
81.9%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
91.8%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$20,500
At graduation

Chapman University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #110
  • WSJ: #380
  • Forbes: #393
  • Niche: #242

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
  • 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline

Chapman University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (31%), Visual & performing arts (19%), Psychology (9%).

Student–faculty ratio: 12:1 · 40% of class sections have under 20 students.

Chapman University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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