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.
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
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.
ACU students find many opportunities to join learning communities, 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 participate in courses with the same cohort in an international setting.
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.
Senior Capstones provide students a culminating experience to their years at ACU. They create a project that integrates and applies what they’ve learned, often through a research paper, a performance, a portfolio of “best work,” or an exhibit of artwork.