Private research university in Orange, California, with eleven colleges and R2 doctoral status.
Chapman University encompasses eleven colleges offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across diverse disciplines. Major schools include the Argyros College of Business and Economics (ranked #60 nationally by U.S. News 2023), Dodge College of Film and Media Arts (ranked 6th by The Hollywood Reporter 2017), Dale E. Fowler School of Law, Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler School of Engineering (opened 2019), School of Pharmacy (Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Science, Ph.D.), Schmid College of Science and Technology, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies, College of Performing Arts, School of Communication, and Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The university maintains research centers including the Economic Science Institute (founded by Nobel laureate Vernon L. Smith), Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education, and multiple discipline-specific institutes.
Chapman's 90-acre main campus in Orange, California features the Keck Center for Science and Engineering (opened 2018, 140,000 sq. ft. with 45 research labs), Leatherby Libraries, Musco Center for the Arts (1,110-seat concert hall, opened 2016), Fish Interfaith Center, and the Erin J. Anderson Athletics Complex. The Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine, opened in 2013, houses the School of Pharmacy and graduate health science programs. The university has an active Greek life community and competes in NCAA Division III through the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Athletic teams are the Panthers; the football team won SCIAC championships in 2014, 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2025.
For the Class of 2022 (fall 2018 enrollment), Chapman received 14,198 applications, accepted 7,605 (53.6% acceptance rate), and enrolled 1,660 students. Admitted freshmen had average SAT scores of 640 (reading/writing) and 638 (math), average ACT composite of 27.9, and average unweighted high school GPA of 3.75. The university was ranked 110th nationally by U.S. News & World Report and 200th by Forbes in recent rankings.
Chapman achieved R2: Doctoral University – High Research Activity status by Carnegie Classification between 2018 and 2022. The university produced its first Rhodes Scholar, Vidal Arroyo '19. Athletic accomplishments include the 2003 and 2019 NCAA Division III baseball tournament championships. The university maintains endowment of $810.6 million (2024) and is accredited by WSCUC. Notable research affiliations include the Institute for Quantum Studies with a 2013 Nobel Prize recipient and 2010 Presidential Medal of Honor winner.