Chapman University

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.

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

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

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate professional programs
• Continuing education certificates
• Research and development

Headquarters

HQ city

Orange

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including financial aid distribution of approximately $34,600 average award for first-year students
2. Foundation Grants and Scholarships: Major scholarship partnerships including Marymount Education Foundation's $2.625 million commitment to the Marymount Scholars Program supporting 40 students
3. Government and Research Grants: National Science Foundation funding for research including $400,000+ grant for accessible STEM education technology; USDA dairy innovation programs
4. Industry Partnerships and Sponsorships: Partnerships with organizations like Qosina, Informa Markets, MD&M West for educational programming and student workforce development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Razavi Law GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Razavi 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 CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Chapman 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)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026MD&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 MarketsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026Qosina 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)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 September 2025Fall 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 WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2024Partnership 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/chapmanu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10701
• Instagraminstagram.com/chapmanu
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChapmanUniversity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/chapmanuniversity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chapman University