Chapman University
Chapman University is a private nonprofit R2 research university in Orange, California serving undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students across 11 schools and colleges including business, law, film, engineering, and health sciences. Founded in 1861, it enrolls thousands of students and operates a secondary health sciences campus in Irvine.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1861
- HeadquartersOrange, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Chapman University does
Chapman University is a private nonprofit research university founded in 1861 (originally as Hesperian College, renamed Chapman University in 1991), headquartered in Orange, California, with a secondary health sciences campus in Irvine. It serves undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students across 11 schools and colleges spanning business, film and media arts, law, engineering, health sciences, pharmacy, education, performing arts, science, communication, and liberal arts. The university is classified as an R2 doctoral research institution with $42 million in annual research expenditures and is ranked #110 out of 436 by U.S. News & World Report, with a Top 50 ranking for Best Undergraduate Teaching.
The institution's core technology and research infrastructure supports AI, engineering, film production, and health sciences, with notable applied AI projects including algorithmic bias research in AI hiring tools (joint with Stanford), a custom-built AI-powered C-3PO robot head, accessible Braille STEM display research funded by NSF, and the Flourish AI mental health platform validated in a longitudinal RCT with Harvard. Chapman operates multiple specialized centers — including the Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Rinker Health Science Campus, Musco Center for the Arts, and Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship — that function as both academic and ecosystem hubs.
Chapman's revenue model is primarily tuition-based (subscription-like, annual billing cycle) supplemented by foundation grants, federal research grants (NSF, USDA), industry partnerships, and donor-funded scholarships. 85% of first-year students receive financial aid with an average award of $34,600, and 24% of incoming students are first-generation. Employer engagement through career fairs (85+ registered employers including Disney, CHOC, Ingram Micro, and Enterprise Mobility) functions as a placement channel rather than a revenue source. The university pursues a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model, recruiting students via campus visits, virtual tours, college fairs, high school outreach, rankings, and digital content marketing.
Chapman University firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chapman University
- Legal name
- Chapman University
- Website
- https://chapman.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1861
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Chapman University is a private nonprofit R2 research university in Orange, California serving undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students across 11 schools and colleges including business, law, film, engineering, and health sciences. Founded in 1861, it enrolls thousands of students and operates a secondary health sciences campus in Irvine.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chapman University industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB), Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)
Keywords
Where Chapman University is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orange
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Chapman University business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including financial aid distribution of approximately $34,600 average award for first-year students
- Foundation Grants and Scholarships: Major scholarship partnerships including Marymount Education Foundation's $2.625 million commitment to the Marymount Scholars Program supporting 40 students
- Government and Research Grants: National Science Foundation funding for research including $400,000+ grant for accessible STEM education technology; USDA dairy innovation programs
- Industry Partnerships and Sponsorships: Partnerships with organizations like Qosina, Informa Markets, MD&M West for educational programming and student workforce development
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Average first-year financial aid award |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chapman University product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chapman University is a private nonprofit research university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degree programs across 11 schools and colleges (including Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, School of Pharmacy, Schmid College of Science and Technology, and Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences). Its offerings are delivered on-campus in Orange and Irvine, online, and through study-abroad programs, supported by R2-classified research activity, financial aid, and student support services.
Product overview
Chapman University is a private research university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple colleges and schools including Argyros College of Business and Economics, Attallah College of Educational Studies, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Engineering, Fowler School of Law, Schmid College of Science and Technology, School of Communication, School of Pharmacy, College of Performing Arts, and Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. As an educational institution, Chapman does not offer technology products in the traditional SaaS or software sense.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dodge College of Film and Media Arts: Chapman's film school offering degrees in film production, screenwriting, animation, broadcast journalism, and other media arts disciplines
- Fowler School of Law
- Fowler School of Engineering
- Argyros College of Business and Economics
- Attallah College of Educational Studies
- Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
- Schmid College of Science and Technology
- Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- School of Communication
- College of Performing Arts
- School of Pharmacy
- Musco Center for the Arts
- Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship
Products and services
- Undergraduate Degree Programs
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% first-year students receive financial aid with $34,600 average award
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chapman University
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chapman University technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Chapman University partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Razavi Law GroupminorRazavi Law Group attorneys participated in Chapman Law's inaugural Law Firm Expo, engaging students about career development in personal injury and employment law, recruiting for law clerk program, and strengthening relationship through sponsorships.
- California Dairy Innovation CenterminorChapman University serves as a venue for California Dairy Innovation Center's short course training programs, covering dairy basics, cheesemaking, and frozen dairy desserts. Courses are free for California processors and partners, co-organized with California Milk Advisory Board.
- MD&M West (Informa Markets Manufacturing)minorMD&M West announced industry partnerships including Chapman University for 2026 event educational programming, featuring 3D-printing presentations, Workforce Connect Event with talent panels, and Emerging Engineer Student Summit for over 500 high school students.
- Qosina and Informa MarketsminorQosina and Informa Markets launched a Student Education Initiative connecting students with the medical device industry through curated programming at MD&M West 2026, including Workforce Connect career panels and pre-show educational activities.
- 85 Registered Employers (Fall Career Fair)minorFall Career Fair attracted 85 registered employers including The Walt Disney Company, Enterprise Mobility, City of Orange, A-Tech Consulting, Orange County Public Defender's Office, Ingram Micro, and Children's Hospital of Orange County for student recruitment.
- Harvard University / Foothill College / University of WashingtoncorePartnership with Harvard Professor Julian De Freitas and three campuses (Foothill College, Chapman University, and University of Washington) for world's first longitudinal RCT on Flourish AI well-being platform, demonstrating statistically significant improvements in student mental health outcomes.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Chapman University competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Loyola Marymount University: Private Catholic research university in Los Angeles with comparable size, R2 classification, comprehensive college portfolio including business, engineering, film, and liberal arts - directly competes for Southern California students.
- Santa Clara University: Private Jesuit R2 research university in Northern California with similar comprehensive offerings across business, engineering, law, and arts - matches Chapman's size, mission, and selective admissions profile.
- University of San Diego: Private Catholic R2 university in San Diego with comparable enrollment scale, law school, business school, and engineering programs - directly competes with Chapman for California private-school applicants.
- University of San Francisco: Private Jesuit university in San Francisco offering comparable undergraduate and graduate programs including business, nursing, law, and education - similar urban California positioning and tuition model.
- Pepperdine University: Private Christian research university in Malibu with comparable graduate schools (law, business, education), strong brand reputation, and selective admissions profile overlapping Chapman's target student demographic.
- University of the Pacific: Private R2 university in Stockton, CA with pharmacy, law, engineering, and music programs - matches Chapman's professional school portfolio and California private-school positioning.
- Gonzaga University: Private Jesuit R2 university with similar comprehensive offerings, selective admissions, and rising national profile - comparable private university operating model and tuition pricing tier.
- Creighton University: Private Jesuit R2 university with similar enrollment scale, comprehensive health sciences and professional schools (pharmacy, law, medicine, business), and tuition-driven nonprofit model.
- Seton Hall University: Private Catholic R2 university with comparable size, professional schools (law, business, nursing, health sciences), and selective admissions profile targeting similar traditional undergraduate demographics.
- Drake University: Private R2 university with comparable enrollment size, comprehensive college portfolio including law, business, pharmacy, and arts - similar tuition-driven nonprofit operating model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chapman University social profiles
Digital presenceChapman University compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Chapman University financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chapman University leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Chapman University subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Chapman University funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chapman University M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chapman University
What does Chapman University do?
Chapman University is a private nonprofit research university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degree programs across 11 schools and colleges (including Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, School of Pharmacy, Schmid College of Science and Technology, and Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences). Its offerings are delivered on-campus in Orange and Irvine, online, and through study-abroad programs, supported by R2-classified research activity, financial aid, and student support services.
Is Chapman University a public or private company?
Chapman University is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Chapman University founded?
Chapman University was founded in 1861. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Chapman University based?
Chapman University is headquartered in Orange, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chapman University make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are foundation Grants and Scholarships, government and Research Grants and industry Partnerships and Sponsorships.
Who are Chapman University's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara University, University of San Diego, University of San Francisco, Pepperdine University, University of the Pacific, Gonzaga University, Creighton University, Seton Hall University and Drake University.
Does Chapman University have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chapman University.
What industry is Chapman University in?
Chapman University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHABAA, Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary), with a secondary code of EDAHABAB, STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.