For the sixth consecutive year, the student experience at Abilene Christian University, both in and out of the classroom, was ranked as one of the nation’s best in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Here are some of the people and programs that make ACU’s student experience unique.

Service Learning: #7 in the nation

ACU’s mission of educating students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world, along with the proven benefits of service learning as a high-impact practice in higher education, has made service learning a signature feature of the ACU experience. A service learning component is incorporated in courses spanning all majors, and ACU’s Wildcat Academics on Mission program intentionally integrates mission and service with coursework. Learn more

First-Year Experience: #11 in the nation

ACU’s innovative approach to student orientation ensures all new Wildcats and their families begin their journey with a comprehensive introduction to college life. They learn about campus through an online series leading up to a two-day on-campus summer orientation. Just before school starts, Wildcat Week immerses them in the academic, social and spiritual life of ACU, and connects them with student mentors. And all first-year students enroll in a Cornerstone course with their mentor groups from Wildcat Week, providing a foundation for the rest of their education at ACU. Learn more

Learning Communities: #14 in the nation

Students find many opportunities to join learning communities at ACU, ranging from the Cornerstone seminar class for new students to cohort programs within specific majors that span a student’s collegiate career. Study Abroad and global service learning trips enable students to learn with the same cohort in an international setting. Honors College freshmen are part of a unique community with a faculty-in-residence, offering new opportunities for intentional living and learning connections. Learn more

Study Abroad: #18 in the nation

The Study Abroad opportunities offered to ACU students – in Germany, England and Uruguay – provide students with authentic international experiences in easily navigable cities where students can safely engage the local community. Programs are offered year round at three hub sites: an ACU-owned Victorian-era house in Oxford, England; an ACU-owned historic villa in Leipzig, Germany; and a leased property in Montevideo, Uruguay. Students choose from semester-long programs in the fall and spring or intensive, discipline-specific programs in the summer. By immersing in a new culture, ACU Study Abroad programs inspire students to build connections, discover new things about themselves and the world, and expand their perspective in a way that strengthens and deepens their faith and intellect. Learn more

Senior Capstone: #21 in the nation

Experiential learning is an important part of an ACU education and is built into the curriculum for all undergraduate majors from their freshman through senior years. Their academic experience culminates with the Senior Capstone, in which students nearing graduation complete a project integrating what they’re taught in the classroom with real-life experience. Learn more