10-yr median earnings
$70,070
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Orange, California
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private nonprofit institution in Orange, California. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $70,070
- 10-yr median earnings
- 65.4%
- Acceptance rate
- $46,555
- Avg net price / yr
- 81.1%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Chapman University pairs top-10% former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 7%
- former-student earnings, US
- 65.4%
- acceptance rate
- 81.1%
- 150%-time completion
- +21%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize
Carnegie: R2
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Chapman University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C+
College Value Score
62/100
Chapman University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$70,070
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$46,555
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A
81.1%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$20,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A-
76.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
91.8%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$46,555
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
81.1%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 81.1%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Chapman University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Chapman University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Chapman University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$70,070 Top 7% higher than 93% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Chapman University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $70,070 | #375 of 5103 | 93rd |
| Average net price | $46,555 | #4963 of 5020 | 1st (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 81.1% | #646 of 4858 | 87th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,478 | #499 of 5462 | 91st |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
7,478
Undergraduate enrollment
65.4%
Acceptance rate
1,357
SAT average
81.1%
150%-time completion
$70,070
10-yr median earnings
91.8%
First-year retention
How Chapman University ranks in California
State rank among 493 reporting California colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Chapman University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $70,070 | #62 of 493 | 87th |
| Average net price | $46,555 | #477 of 495 | 4th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 81.1% | #94 of 483 | 81st |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,478 | #102 of 553 | 82nd |
Highest former-student earnings in California
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Merritt University | $143,238 | - |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College | $138,687 | $35,924 |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | $128,566 | $16,075 |
| 4 | Stanford University | $124,080 | $13,807 |
| 5 | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health | $115,318 | - |
| 6 | Gnomon | $114,785 | $51,949 |
| 7 | Santa Clara University | $109,183 | $50,062 |
| 8 | Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University | $109,183 | - |
| 9 | Touro University California | $104,805 | - |
| 10 | Claremont McKenna College | $104,736 | $28,849 |
| 11 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County | $102,672 | $32,879 |
| 12 | West Coast University-Ontario | $102,672 | $49,590 |
| 62 | Chapman UniversityThis school | $70,070 | $46,555 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 65.4% |
| SAT Average | 1,357 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 630 – 720 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 630 – 720 |
| ACT Average | 29 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 28 – 31 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Chapman University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$33,559 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$33,978 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$33,709 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$55,066 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Chapman University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $64,984 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $64,984 |
| Average Net Price | $46,555 |
19.4%
Pell Grant Rate
60.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,500
Median Debt
$217/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Chapman University rose +40.5% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $33,821 in 2013 to $47,527 in 2023, a rise of $13,706 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $33,8212023 · $47,527
Over the same years, enrollment went +28.4% (5,940 → 7,629 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
64.7%
Female
17.9%
First Generation
Outcomes
91.8%
Retention Rate
$58,080
Median Earnings (6yr)
72.6%
Earning Over $25K
76.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 81.1% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 91.8% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $58,080 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $70,070 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 72.6% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 76.6% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $20,500 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $217/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 28 | 1,937 | $70,715 | $112,780 | $21,496 |
| Master's | 13 | 457 | $78,292 | $121,592 | $99,980 |
| First Professional | 3 | 318 | $122,245 | $153,718 | $193,089 |
| Doctoral | 2 | 4 | $99,733 | $99,733 | - |
| Certificate | 1 | 31 | - | - | $16,750 |
| Graduate Certificate | 1 | 0 | - | - | - |
Top programs at Chapman University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical S…
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
$153,718 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$121,592 median earnings
- Law
Law
$119,002 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$112,780 median earnings
- Clinical, Counseling and A…
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
$107,808 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$102,147 median earnings
- Rehabilitation and Therape…
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
$99,733 median earnings
- Rehabilitation and Therape…
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
$94,016 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
The New England Conservatory of Music
Boston, MA
$46,754 net price · $199 apart
Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, CT
$46,174 net price · $381 apart
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA
$46,080 net price · $475 apart
Ohio Institute of Allied Health
Huber Heights, OH
$47,034 net price · $479 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Chapman University? ▼
Chapman University is a private nonprofit institution in Orange, California. The acceptance rate is 65.4%. The average SAT score is 1,357. Undergraduate enrollment is 7,478 students.
How much do Chapman University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Chapman University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $70,070 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $58,080.
How much does Chapman University cost? ▼
The average net price at Chapman University is $46,555. In-state tuition is $64,984 and out-of-state tuition is $64,984. Median student debt at graduation is $20,500.
What is the graduation rate at Chapman University? ▼
Chapman University has a 81.1% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 91.8%.
Is Chapman University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Chapman University is $20,500, while former students earn a median of $70,070 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 29% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 76.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $217.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Chapman University
- Compare Chapman University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in California side by side.Browse California
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.