Azusa Pacific University Admission
Azusa Pacific University Undergraduate Program
Azusa Pacific University Application

The Facts

Azusa Pacific University is a moderately sized, private Christian university located in the town of Azusa, California, and is home to over 4,000 undergraduate students and approximately 200 graduate and part-time professional students. The school was founded in 1899 by an interdenominational Christian group wishing to offer a great education along with the chance for further spiritual growth. Azusa Pacific University is perhaps best known for its extensive and unique study abroad programs, including sessions in countries such as Japan, Latin America, Taiwan and England. The university is divided into several smaller undergraduate and graduate colleges, including schools of biological science, communications and the arts, computer and physical science, health professions, and social science. APU offers its students a wide variety of majors in both the liberal arts and preprofessional studies; some of the most popular choices are within nursing, education, religion, and liberal studies.

Admission to Azusa Pacific University is not that competitive, but admissions standards have been becoming increasingly strict with each passing admissions cycle. Many in-state students are looking to APU as an alternative to the many California state and private schools, so more and more students are applying. Last year, over 2,500 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 2,000 of those students were admitted; of those, 910 enrolled for the coming Fall semester. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1200 to 1400, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 26 to 32. Additionally, over 60% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of 3.78.

Azusa State University has a student to faculty ratio of 16:1, and in general, students seem to be very pleased with the availability of their professors. While some of the introductory classes are quite large and anonymous, most of the more advanced classes have less than 20 students, and are very hands-on and discussion-based. Students also have many internship opportunities throughout the state and beyond, and the administration has been emphatic when it comes to getting their students out into the “real working world.”

The Social Scene

The town of Azusa is quite small, and doesn’t really offer students much in the way of entertainment, but both the students and the student life office seem to be quite good at making on-campus activities both dynamic and frequent. There are no fraternities or sororities at the school, but the university does offer students more than 40 student-run clubs and organizations, running the gamut from cheerleading to an international jazz band. There are also many opportunities to get involved in the community, as the school places a definite emphasis on giving back to the community. Drinking happens, but it isn’t really prevalent on campus. Most students are too busy studying, or just aren’t into partying enough to want to let loose and go crazy on the weekends.

The dating scene is pretty tame, although we hear from the students that there are some good catches to be found...

What’s Good

“The campus is really pretty, and there are plenty of outdoor spaces in which to get some alone time.”

“The community here is really tightly knit. It’s nice to go to such a good school that also happens to be a very nurturing place.”

“People here tend to be pretty laid-back and don’t feel the need to butt heads over everything. There’s healthy competition, but nothing really beyond that.”

What’s Bad

“The campus is really small, and you get kind of sick of passing the same people day after day.”

“The library and computer labs have really sporadic hours. Sometimes, you can’t finish your work on time because they’re closed.”

“There’s nothing to do here. If you have a car, you can try to escape to Los Angeles, but otherwise you’re pretty much stuck on campus.”

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