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University or college · Private nonprofit

Chapman University

Orange, CA

Chapman University is a private nonprofit university in Orange, CA, with about 9,961 students on campus.

Visit www.chapman.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
9,961
7,874 undergrad · 2,087 grad
Admission rate
65%
lower than at 70% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$46,555
higher than at 98% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
82%
higher than at 90% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$70,070
higher than at 93% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Chapman University

A higher price after aid than almost any college

The average family on federal aid pays $46,555 a year after grants, more than at 98% of 4-year colleges. What it costs ↓

Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges

Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $33,559 a year after grants. What it costs ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Chapman University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, computer science graduates earn a median $112,780 four years out. Drama/theatre arts and stagecraft graduates earn $51,611. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $83,146 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $64,984Room & board $17,814Books & supplies $1,600

After grants, the average family on aid pays $46,555.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$33,709

About $134,836 over 4 years · 59% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Chapman University?

65%

of applicants admitted

About 13 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
630–720
SAT math
630–720
ACT
28–31

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1357.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
82%
within 6 years · Pell students 83%
Come back for year two
92%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$70,070
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$20,500
about $217 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

4.5%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$217 a month against about $4,840 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

68%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 84% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$62k
Middle income$30–75k
$70k
Higher incomeover $75k
$78k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 31%Visual & performing arts 19%Communication 9%Psychology 9%Computer science 4%Health professions 4%Everything else 23%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business Administration, Management and Operations444 graduates a year · typical debt $19,625
$84k4 yrs out
Film/Video and Photographic Arts180 graduates a year · typical debt $18,500
$66k4 yrs out
Psychology, General171 graduates a year · typical debt $20,500
$64k4 yrs out
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft105 graduates a year · typical debt $22,500
$52k4 yrs out
Public Health103 graduates a year · typical debt $23,125
$73k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies98 graduates a year · typical debt $18,777
$73k4 yrs out
Business/Corporate Communications98 graduates a year · typical debt $17,875
$76k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government76 graduates a year · typical debt $20,500
$69k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

7,478 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 47%Hispanic 20%Black 2%Asian 16%Two or more 9%International 3%

Women and men

Women 61%Men 39%
12 : 1
students per teacher
19%
get Pell grants (lower income)
60%
take federal loans
2%
undergrads 25 or older
3%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Orange

10% of Orange’s 138,365 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Orange pages.

Orange →
OrangeOrange, CA
$2,327/momedian rent · 14% above the state$1.12Mtypical home valueC+Safety Grade47° / 85°January low / July highA−Health GradeAll colleges in and near OrangeCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Chapman University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

The Chicago School at AnaheimUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Anaheim
1.9 mi483 students
Platt College-AnaheimUniversity or college · For-profit · Anaheim
1.9 mi405 students
Santa Ana CollegeCommunity college · Public · Santa Ana
3.1 mi18,643 students
West Coast University-Orange CountyUniversity or college · For-profit · Anaheim
3.6 mi2,873 students
Santiago Canyon CollegeCommunity college · Public · Orange
4.9 mi7,854 students
Career Networks InstituteUniversity or college · For-profit · Santa Ana
5 mi971 students
Hope International UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fullerton
6.1 mi656 students
Bethesda UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Anaheim
6.1 mi248 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.