The ACU Department of Journalism and Mass Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), the premier national accrediting body for journalism and mass communication programs in the United States. This accreditation signifies that the department meets rigorous standards of excellence in areas such as curriculum, faculty qualifications, diversity and inclusion, facilities, student outcomes, and professional preparation. Fewer than 120 programs nationwide hold this distinction, placing ACU among a select group of institutions recognized for providing students with a high-quality, industry-relevant education that prepares them for careers in media, journalism, public relations and related fields.
Accreditation
JMC Enrollment by Major
| Major | Fall 2025 | Fall 2024 | Fall 2023 | Fall 2022 | Fall 2021 | Fall 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAPR, Advertising/Public Relations | 36 | 37 | 39 | 34 | 27 | 30 |
| JMM, Multimedia | 60 | 53 | 45 | 51 | 35 | 31 |
| JMTC, Journalism/Multimedia Teacher | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| JOCJ, Convergence Journalism | 3 | 11 | ||||
| JOUR, Journalism | 30 | 21 | 33 | 37 | 29 | 19 |
| TOTAL | 126 | 112 | 118 | 122 | 95 | 92 |
JMC Retention Rates
This table shows the rate at which students remain JMC majors and at the university. The JMC columns show the percentage of students who begin as freshman JMC majors and remain a JMC major in two, three or four years. These numbers do not represent students who adopt JMC majors after their initial freshman enrollment. The ACU columns show the percentage of all ACU students who begin at the university and remain at the university after two, three or four years.| To the 2nd Year | To the 2nd Year | To the 3rd Year | To the 3rd Year | To the 4th Year | To the 4th Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JMC | ACU | JMC | ACU | JMC | ACU | |
| Fall 2020 | 61.5% | 79.0% | 57.7% | 69.8% | 42.3% | 61.2% |
| Fall 2021 | 93.1% | 78.3% | 79.3% | 69.7% | 51.7% | 58.6% |
| Fall 2022 | 48.5% | 79.4% | 45.5% | 70.1% | 39.4% | 59.5% |
| Fall 2023 | 65.4% | 80.3% | 69.2% | 73.4% | ||
| Fall 2024 | 71.4% | 81.3% |
JMC Graduation Rates
This table shows recent graduation trends. The JMC columns show the percentage of JMC students who graduate in four, five or six years. The ACU columns show the percentage of all ACU students who graduate in four, five or six years.| 4-Yr Graduation | 4-Yr Graduation | 5-Yr Graduation | 5-Yr Graduation | 6-Yr Graduation | 6-Yr Graduation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JMC | ACU | JMC | ACU | JMC | ACU | |
| Fall 2018 | 39.0% | 49.0% | 39.0% | 57.6% | 39.0% | 58.9% |
| Fall 2019 | 46.7% | 45.5% | 66.7% | 53.6% | 66.7% | 55.1% |
| Fall 2020 | 53.8% | 50.7% | 53.8% | 60.6% | 53.8% | 62.6% |
| Fall 2021 | 65.5% | 56.4% | 72.4% | 63.4% | ||
| Fall 2022 | 30.3% | 52.9% |