Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian University in Abilene, Texas. It was originally known as Children's Classical Institute when established in 1906. ACU aims in transforming their students into the likeness of Jesus and creates leaders who think critically, globally,missionally through distinctive and innovative programs that provide a unique, Christ oriented experience that attracts students into the community. The university is accredited by The Southern Association of colleges and schools commissions on colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees, making it one of the popular Christian Universities to study in the US.

Admissions to Abilene Christian University is granted to 5,293 students, out of which 3,496 are undergraduate students and 1,797 are graduate students. It has international students from 46 countries all over the world. Abilene Christian University has been listed in Niche Ranking list of Top Private Universities, Best Value Colleges in USA and Top Public Colleges in USA.

Abilene Christian University Rankings

Rankings Agency
#15th Rank among Regional Universities in West US News
#3rd Rank for Best Undergraduate Teaching US News
#99th Rank for Performance in Social Mobility US News
#501-600th US College Rank Times Higher Education
#498 Country Rank UNI Rank
# 1353 World Rank UNI Rank
#401 Rank among Top Colleges Forbes
#401 Rank among Private Colleges Forbes

Also listed among the Best Undergraduate Teaching(#3), Most Innovative Schools(#4), Best Value Schools(#9), Best (#2)Best Colleges for Veterans(#9) and Top Performers on Social Mobility(#99) as per US News and World Report.

Highlights

Established 1906
Affiliation Churches of Christ
Type Private
Campus setting Urban
Endowment $451,7 million
Student to Faculty ratio 15:1
Number of Students 4,500 +
Required test scores SAT/ACT/TOEFL/IELTS
Rate of Acceptance 60%
Cost of Attendance $36,300 (for tuition and general fees)
Admission Helpdesk (855) 219-7300
onlineadmissions@acu.edu
College website www.acu.edu

Abilene Christian University Campus

  • ACU is located 150 miles west of Dallas and fort worth area
  • Students from nearly every state and 41 countries are studying at ACU.
  • There are in total 5,292 students comprising 3,525 undergraduate students and 1,767 graduate students.
  • The campus of ACU is spread across 208 acres of land in an urban setting.
  • 266 full-time faculty members of 96% of tenure-track facility holding terminal degrees
  • There are approximately 100 student organizations in which students get involved in social clubs; government;and service,honor and special interest-groups.
  • The Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center is a focal point on the campus.
  • ACU recruits student-athletes for their academic and spiritual qualities as well as abilities in sports.
  • The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) oversees the student groups on campus that focus on multicultural diversity through student associations like; International Students association, African students association, Black students union, Hispanos Unidos, Third Culture Kids and Chinese Students and Scholars Association.

Abilene Christian University Residence

  • Advocacy, safety, intentionality, belonging and spirituality are the five main principles of their residential living on campus.
  • ACU has 10 residence halls on campus depending on the year of study.
  • There are single, double and triple sharing rooms and vary in cost depending on the facilities offered.
  • The room features have built in desks, vanity, under bed storage and bulletin boards.
  • Depending on the stay, there are options of private bath or community bath. There are also community kitchens and private kitchens.
  • The basic facilities available to all include dining options, fitness centres, fitness and wellness facilities and laundry services.
  • Students have 8 dining options to choose from.
  • Other common areas for all are patio, grill, media room and private study areas.

Abilene Christian University Programs

  • ACU has a program for every passion which makes your educational journey unique.
  • Degree programs are administered through the following six academic schools.
  • Undergraduate, graduate and online degree programs are offered at Abilene Christian University.
  • The university offers 70 undergraduate programs across 135 areas of study, all of which have deeply rooted Christian values.
  • 29 graduate programs are designed to enhance their students' professional talents and strengthen their spiritual life.
  • Out of 29 programs, 5 are integrated and one program is an interdisciplinary program.
Programs Total Tuition Deadlines
Master of Accountancy 40,290 USD Fall: August 10
Master of Arts in English 48,348 USD Priority: May 1 Standard: August 10
Master of Education in Teaching and Learning 36,000 USD 2nd or Last Friday in November
Master of Science in Social Work 79,488 USD Fall Priority: February 16 Fall Standard: May 1
Doctor Of Nursing Practice 41,600 USD March 9 2023 May 4 2023
Doctor Of Education in Organizational Leadership 45,420 USD March 9 2023 May 4 2023
Bachelor Of Business Administration 39,350 USD Early Action: Nov. 1
Regular: Feb. 1
Bachelor of Fine Arts 39,350 USD Early Action: Nov. 1
Regular: Feb. 1

Abilene Christian University Application Process

There are many requirements for many international students who wish to admission in Abilene Christian University.

  • Application Portal- Application for Undergraduate,Graduate and online programs happen via the University website.
  • Application Fees- Applications for the 2023 term are free from July 1. The application fee is 50 USD if one applies after September 1st which is nonrefundable.
  • Application Documents:
    • Official high school/college transcript(s)
    • ACT scores/SAT scores for UG admissions
    • Proficiency in English through IELTS/TOEFL is required
    • Completed application form.
    • Essay
    • Evaluated academic transcripts with English translations (if required)
    • English language proficiency scores
    • At least one reference letter.
    • Health Insurance
    • Immunization records as required by law.
    • Copy of Passport
  • Admission Deadline- Depending on the term of admission and program enrolled for.

Abilene Christian University Cost of Attendance

  • The estimated cost of attendance depends on various factors like the course applied for, tuition, housing, dining, transport (if needed) and personal luxuries.
  • Hence, it is essential that international aspirants get a proper estimate of expenses while studying in the US:
Fall and spring semester Undergraduate (USD)
Tuition and Fees 37,800 (covers 24-36 hours for fall, summer and spring courses. Some optional fees are non-inclusive)
Room and Board 11,000 (housing and meal plan rates vary by selection)
Health Insurance 1,320
Books estimate 1,250
Total Estimated Cost: 51,370

Abilene Christian University Financial Aid

  • ACU provides financial aid to the students enrolled who show financial need.
  • Students can apply for financial aid during the time of admissions.
  • Annually, ACU awards more than 96 million USD in financial aid through various scholarships, loans ,grants and college work-study.
  • There are also external scholarships for international students to fund studying in the US.
  • International students who are admitted at ACU are eligible to receive the President's International Scholarship of 22,000 USD a year for four years.
  • International students who live on campus are also eligible to receive the Wildcat Housing Grant for 3,000 USD for up to 2 years to be applied to housing costs.
  • Honors Fellow Scholarship- It is the highest honor scholarship given by ACU to students who agree to be members of ACU’s Honors College and score above 33 on their ACT or above 1450 on their SAT.
  • Servant Leader Scholarship- First-time students of ACU are eligible to apply for this scholarship with ACU’s Cultures of ACU scholarship and community Servant Leader Award. Recipients must show leadership skills as well as a passion for diversity and equality.
  • International Employment- International students are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week on campus during fall and spring semesters. They can earn up to 1,000 to 2,000 USD during academic semesters on campus.
  • Payment Plans- ACU makes education affordable by offering an innovative tuition model, institutional financial aid, no-interest payment plans, resources to external funding, and access to a team of financial aid professionals to help guide you through the process.

Abilene Christian University Alumni

  • ACU alumnus is now best selling Christian authors, ministers, members of congress,state judges,big-city mayor, Hollywood movie producers, Pulitzer Prize winners and many more.
  • Some of the notable alumni are:
    • Brown Bannister- Contemporary music producer who has won 14 Grammys and 25 Dove awards.
    • Michael Blanton- Award-winning music producer
    • Dr. Kent Brantly, M.D- Medical Missionary currently surviving in Zambia became the first American to survive Ebola in 2014.
    • Lara Siebert- Broadway singer and actress, whose credits include Hugh Jackmans’ arena tour and Broadway to Oz and Chicago on Broadway.
    • Earl Young- 1960 Olympic gold medalist and founder of the nonprofit Earl Young's Team to fight blood cancer.

Abilene Christian University Placements

The University provides jobs and internships via Handshake portal and Career Explorer.

  • Handshake is a job and internship portal which provides number of career opportunities for students and alumni.
  • Career Explorer helps the students in choosing their ideal career based on their qualifications and skills.
  • The Career Center of Abilene Christian University also provides career guide for students. Students can learn to create cover letter, resume and also prepare for interview through career guide.
  • Students can also prepare for interviews through Optimal Resume. Optimal Resume is interviewing system where students can prepare for question which may be asked during interview.
  • Various Career fairs and events are conducted in the ACU campus which can be registered through Handshake portal.
  • 96% of the graduates are either employed or enrolled in graduate programs.
  • Programs like Teaching, Education, Marketing and Chemistry have 100% employment rate.
  • Average Salary of ACU graduates in 2018 was 41,517 USD.
  • Average Salary of Master of Accounting graduates in 2018 was 56,500USD.

FAQs

Ques. What is the minimum GPA required for admission in Abilene Christian University?

Ans. A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a scale of 4.0 is required in bachelor's for admission in graduate program.

Ques. What are the courses offered by Abilene Christian University?

Ans. ACU offers 79 undergraduate, 35 graduate and 3 PhD programs in variety of disciplines.

Undergraduate program are offered in Arts, Education, Architecture, Biology, Communication, Criminal Justice, Journalism, Business Administration, Animal Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Kinesiology, Psychology and Sociology etc. Graduate programs are offered in Accountancy, Arts, Communication, Theology, Liberal Arts, Ministry, Nursing, and Education Specialist and organizational leadership.

Ques. Is it worth taking admission in Abilene Christian University?

Ans. Abilene Christian University as it is one of the most innovative and best value colleges in USA. Its undergraduate teaching is ranked #3 in United states. It has also listed in Forbes, Princeton Review and various other well known agencies for its teaching. These achievements makes the university worth taking admission into.

Ques. What is the admission process for International students in Abilene Christian University?

Ans. International undergraduate students are required to provide their high school academic records along with English proficiency proof (SAT,ACT,IELTS,TOEFL and Duolingo), recommendation letter, personal statement, passport and other related documents. Students may send their documents to the university's admission office.

For admission in graduate programs, students are asked to provide their bachelor's transcripts with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on the scale of 4.0 along with English Proficiency proof, financial documents, passport and graduate assistantship form.

Ques. What is the acceptance rate in Abilene Christian University?

Ans. The university has a acceptance rate of 61% as it is selective. The level of competition in ACU is slightly high.

Ques. What is the Tuition fees in Abilene Christian University?

Ans. The average tuition fees of Master's in Arts, Accountancy and Business Administration ranges from 35,000 USD to 50,000 USD. The doctoral program ranges from 40,000 USD to 45,000 USD.

Ques. Does Abilene Christian University offers scholarship for international students?

Ans.  Abilene Christian University scholarships to both international undergraduates and graduate students.

International undergraduates are offered scholarships worth 22,000 USD for 4 years. Students living on campus will be eligible for Wildcat Housing grant worth 3,000 USD.

Ques. What is the total enrollment in Abilene Christian University?

Ans. ACU has total enrollment of 5,293 students, out of which 3,496 are undergraduates and 1,797 graduate students.