Abilene Christian vs Palm Beach Atlantic University

Abilene Christian University (ACU) and Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) are two distinct institutions of higher learning that offer unique educational experiences. ACU, located in Abilene, Texas, is a private Christian university with a strong emphasis on faith-based education. PBA, situated in West Palm Beach, Florida, is also a private Christian university known for its focus on liberal arts and sciences. While both universities share a commitment to providing a Christ-centered education, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Abilene Christian University	Palm Beach Atlantic University
Overview
Location	Abilene, Texas	West Palm Beach, Florida
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.1%	89.9%
Application fees	$65	$50
SAT range	1050 - 1270	1030 - 1240
ACT range	22 - 28	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%	77.0%
Students submitting ACT score	28.0%	31.0%
Total number of applicants	8,208	1,923
Total number of admissions given out	5,755	1,728
Admitted students who chose to enroll	833	505
Yield rate	14.5%	29.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$55,500	$53,668
Average net price	$29,734	$27,881
Tuition	$39,250	$33,538
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,878 Meal plan: $5,750	Room/dormitory: $5,872 Meal plan: $5,256
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $23,662	99.0% Average amount $23,465
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,275	51.0% Average amount $5,286
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $18,262	6.0% Average amount $14,922

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,138 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%	2,837 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students	1,774 Men 28.1% Women 71.9%	850 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	14.8%	52.3%
International students	3.3%	4.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,153	1,228
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Texas Oklahoma California Arizona Tennessee	Florida New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Michigan

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.2%	60.8%
Dropout rate	38.8%	36.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,955 Year 2: $64,068 Year 3: $76,106 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,092 Year 2: $58,522 Year 3: $66,013 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,144 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $65,252 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $54,661 Year 3: $59,374 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,079 Year 2: $49,631 Year 3: $53,274 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,118 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $52,550 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,619 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $50,422 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,737 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $46,207 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,484 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,767 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,141 Year 2: $44,747 Year 3: $43,080	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,539 Year 2: $113,354 Year 3: $121,395 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,430 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $57,694 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,359 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $55,997 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,575 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,914 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $40,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,875 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $40,718 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,924 Year 2: $40,392 Year 3: $40,381 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,527 Year 2: $36,151 Year 3: $36,801 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,547 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $36,792

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Abilene Christian vs Palm Beach Atlantic University

Abilene Christian University

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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