School Mission

Abilene Christian University is a vibrant, innovative, Christ-centered community that engages students in authentic spiritual and intellectual growth, equipping them to make a real difference in the world. The incorporation of cutting-edge technology into learning has positioned the university as a leader in the integration of mobile-learning technology. Students use their iPhones or iPod touches as part of the university's innovative academic and social experiences. Abilene Christian continues to receive worldwide recognition for its innovation both in and out of the classroom. 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, a British educational conference, ACU was one of three finalists for the Handheld Learning Innovation Award for Tertiary Education. ACU also received the Institutional Excellence in Information Communication Technology Award by the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education. While ACU is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, the university welcomes all students who value the strong Christian environment and exceptional academic programs offered on campus. More than 4,800 students attend ACU from all 50 states and 60 countries. The diverse and global environment cultivates a strong learning experience. Students are served by faculty members who focus on high academic teaching, scholarship and service. Undergraduates regularly participate in significant research projects alongside faculty members, and many ACU students go on to earn their doctorates. The university includes the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business Administration, Education and Human Services, the Graduate School, the Graduate School of Theology, the School of Information Technology and Computing, the School of Social Work, the Honors College, and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing. ACU's College of Business Administration remains in the five 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 produces The Optimist, the first student newspaper to be published on Apple's new iPad. Several academic departments across campus have collaborated on the project, pairing ACU's oldest student medium with a brand-new device. The JMC department also features a new, state-of-the-art converged media newsroom where print, broadcast and online student media staff produce award-winning work together. The Body & Soul pre-med/pre-dental program at ACU offers students unique opportunities that prepare them for high acceptance into professional schools. Graduates are accepted into medical school at a rate almost double the national average. ACU's Teacher Education program 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. Since 1999, ACU students and faculty members in the Department of Physics have been part of the Pioneering High Energy Nuclear Interaction eXperiment (PHENIX) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The PHENIX project uses the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), the world's highest energy density particle accelerator, to study the "perfect" liquid, which is created by crashing ions together. ACU physics undergraduates are listed as co-authors on numerous papers presenting the project's groundbreaking research. Abilene Christian students 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. ACU's mission is to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.

School Details

Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1906

Programs Offered

associate degree, bachelor's degree, certificate, master's degree, post-bachelor's certificate, post-master's certificate

Majors Offered

Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations, Animal Sciences, General, Computer Science, Special Education and Teaching, General, Elementary Education and Teaching, Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching, Secondary Education and Teaching, Art Teacher Education, English/Language Arts Teacher Education, Foreign Language Teacher Education, Mathematics Teacher Education, Music Teacher Education, Physical Education Teaching and Coaching, Reading Teacher Education, Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education, Social Studies Teacher Education, Biology Teacher Education, History Teacher Education, Spanish Language Teacher Education, Engineering, General, Computer Hardware Engineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering Science, Spanish Language and Literature, Human Development and Family Studies, General, Pre-Law Studies, English Language and Literature, General, Speech and Rhetorical Studies, Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies, Biology/Biological Sciences, General, Biochemistry, Mathematics, General, Environmental Science, International/Global Studies, Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other, Health and Physical Education, General, Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, Bible/Biblical Studies, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Pastoral Studies/Counseling, Youth Ministry, Theology and Religious Vocations, Other, Chemistry, General, Physics, General, Psychology, General, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Social Work, Political Science and Government, General, Sociology, Social Sciences, Other, Commercial and Advertising Art, Interior Design, Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General, Art/Art Studies, General, Fine/Studio Arts, General, Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other, Music, General, Piano and Organ, Voice and Opera, Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist, Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist, Ophthalmic Laboratory Technology/Technician, Pre-Dentistry Studies, Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies, Pre-Pharmacy Studies, Pre-Veterinary Studies, Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Other, Nursing - Registered Nurse Training (RN, ASN,BSN, MSN), Dietetics/Dietitian (RD), Business Administration and Management, General, Accounting, Finance, General, Marketing/Marketing Management, General, History, General, Journalism, Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia, Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other

Minors Offered

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences, Other, Creative Writing, Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, Philosophy, Other, Counseling Psychology, Developmental and Child Psychology, Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies, Other, Business Administration and Management, General, Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia, Public Relations/Image Management

General Student Body Information

Total number of undergraduates: 3,916
Total number of full-time undergraduates: 3,561
Total number of part-time undergraduates: 226
Percent of male undergraduates: 45.91%
Percent of female undergraduates: 54.09%
Percent of international undergraduates: 3.06%

Student Services

Basic services offered: nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, health insurance, other
Remedial learning services offered: reading, math, study skills
Counseling services offered: minority student, career, military, personal, veteran student, academic, older student, psychological, religious
Campus safety and security services offered: 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc)

Activities

Student activities offered: choral groups, concert band, drama/theater, jazz band, literary magazine, marching band, music ensembles, musical theater, opera, radio station, student government, student newspaper, symphony orchestra, television station