Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private nonprofit university in Abilene, TX, with about 3,545 students on campus and 1,569 more studying only online.
The short version on Abilene Christian University
A graduation gap for lower-income students
45% of students with Pell grants finish, against 59% overall, a gap of 14 points. 22% of undergraduates get Pell grants. Outcomes ↓
Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges
Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $20,285 a year after grants. What it costs ↓
What you study here makes a big difference to pay
Among Abilene Christian University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, nursing graduates earn a median $89,079 four years out. Communication and media studies graduates earn $49,202. Program earnings cover the whole system. Majors ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; earnings, debt and repayment are reported for the whole 2-campus system; price, graduation and earnings include online students.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting (whole college system)
$257 a month against about $3,894 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, whole college system
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 87% 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 (whole college system)
How hard is it to get into Abilene Christian University?
of applicants admitted
About 13 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1194.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $59,256 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $26,182.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $92,048 over 4 years · 61% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported); reported for the whole college system.
The students
3,195 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Abilene
9% of Abilene’s 131,588 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Abilene pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Abilene Christian University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
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 and are reported for the whole 2-campus system. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.