- Photos
-
-
_
U.S. News Rankings
| Ranking score and category | |||||
|
|||||
Summary
Abilene Christian University is a private institution that was founded in 1906. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,771, its setting is city, and the campus size is 208 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Abilene Christian University's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (West), 19. Its tuition and fees are $26,770 (2012-13).
Affiliated with the Churches of Christ, Abilene Christian University requires students to attend daily chapel sessions and take several Bible courses before graduation. Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on the school’s residential campus, located in Abilene, Texas, where they’ll find about 100 student clubs and organizations. About 20 percent of Abilene Christian students participate in Greek life. The Abilene Christian Wildcats compete in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference. For graduate students, Abilene Christian University offers programs through its business school and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing, among other academic departments. Notable alumni of Abilene Christian University include pastor and author Max Lucado, and Johnny Knox, Chicago Bears wide receiver.
| School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): | |
|
Abilene Christian University is a vibrant, innovative community that engages students in authentic spiritual and intellectual growth, equipping them to make a real difference in the world. While ACU is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, the university welcomes all students who value the strong Christian environment and exceptional academic programs - pillars of an exceptional learning community committed to developing Christ-centered global leaders. ACU continues to receive worldwide recognition for its innovation in and out of the classroom. The incorporation of cutting-edge technology into learning has positioned the university as a leader in the integration and study of mobile learning. Students use their iPhones, iPod touches and iPads as part of the university's innovative academic and social experiences. ACU has received both national and international honors, including Alcatel-Lucent's first-ever Dynamic Enterprise Award, for its innovative communications solution that enhances the learning experience for students. At the Handheld Learning Conference in London, ACU was one of three finalists for the Handheld Learning Innovation Award for Tertiary Education. It also received the Institutional Excellence in Information Communication Technology Award by the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education. ACU's diverse and global environment - more than 4,700 students enroll from 50 states and territories, and 42 nations - cultivates a strong learning experience. Students are served by faculty members who focus on high-quality teaching, scholarship and service. The university's national recognition for its commitment to undergraduate teaching is best seen in the way students regularly participate in significant research projects alongside faculty members. Since 1999, ACU undergraduates and faculty members in the Department of Physics have been an integral part of the groundbreaking Pioneering High Energy Nuclear Interaction eXperiment (PHENIX) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, arguably the world's top research lab. And according to Science Watch and Thomsen Reuters, ACU physics faculty and undergraduates are co-authors on four of the top 20 research papers in the science world over the past decade. The university's College of Business Administration remains in the 5 percent of business schools in the world officially accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) produces The Optimist, the first student newspaper to be published on Apple's iPad. The JMC department also features a state-of-the-art converged media newsroom where print, broadcast and online student media staff produce award-winning work together. The Body & Soul pre-health program at ACU offers students unique opportunities that prepare them for high acceptance rates to professional schools. Graduates are accepted into medical and dental schools at a rate almost double the national average, and ACU's business school is ranked No. 1 in the nation for producing Master of Accountancy graduates whose degrees lead to jobs. The Department of Teacher Education offers an innovative Summer Institute for Beginning Teachers, where alumni return to campus to network and share experiences from their first years in the classroom. The speech and debate team wins national titles, and students from the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences help Hondurans conserve water and grow more efficient crops. Its young theatre graduates have starring roles on Broadway and in national touring shows. Abilene Christian students also have numerous learning opportunities outside the classroom, from summer internships with top firms in various fields to exciting Study Abroad classrooms in Europe, South America and Asia. Only four universities - including USC, Stanford and UCLA - have won more NCAA national team championships than the Wildcats. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1906 |
| Religious affiliation | Church of Christ |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | city |
| 2011 Endowment | $302,232,657 |
Applying
When applying to Abilene Christian University, it's important to note the application deadline is February 15, and the early action deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 15. The application fee at Abilene Christian University is $50. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 64.4 percent and an early acceptance rate of 57.9 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 64.4% |
| Application deadline | February 15 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | February 15 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Abilene Christian University is 14:1, and the school has 49.9 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Abilene Christian University include: Business Administration and Management, General; Psychology, General; Accounting; Human Development and Family Studies, General; and Marketing/Marketing Management, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 73.8 percent.
Student Life
Abilene Christian University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,771, with a gender distribution of 45.6 percent male students and 54.4 percent female students. At this school, 43.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 57.0 percent of students live off campus. Abilene Christian University is part of the NCAA II athletic conference.
| Total enrollment | 4,558 |
| Student gender distribution | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | |
|
|
|
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA II |
Campus Info & Services
Abilene Christian University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Abilene Christian University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Abilene Christian University, 75 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Abilene Christian University.
| Students who have cars on campus | 75% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Abilene Christian University, 65.4 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $12,357.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $26,770 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $8,650 (2012-13) |
| Financial aid statistics | |
|
|
|
* Overview details based on 2011 data
