Azusa Pacific University HQ

Azusa Pacific University (APU) was founded in 1899 as the Training School for Christian Workers, which had 12 students in its first term. Today, we are one of southern California’s largest private universities, located 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the city of Azusa. APU educates nearly 9,000 students (4,498 traditional undergraduate/bachelor’s completion, 4,430 graduate) on the main campus and at 6 regional centers (High Desert, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Murrieta, Orange County, and San Diego), offering 68 bachelor’s degrees, 47 master’s degrees, 18 certificates, 9 credentials, and 9 doctoral programs. Our academic programs are offered through the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, the School of Education, the Honors College, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Theology, the College of the Arts, the School of Business and Management, the School of Nursing, and Azusa Pacific Seminary. APU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and is classified as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education . Committed to diversity and inclusion, APU admits students of all faiths. APU has a community engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation, and is also nationally recognized as a Carnegie R2 Doctoral University with high research activity consistent with outstanding faculty scholarship.

As APU fulfills its commitment to academic excellence, it is continually recognized as a national leader in private higher education. APU was ranked 281/800 on the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education 2021 college rankings and came in at No. 227 in the U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2021 edition. According to the US News and World Report, APU ranks high on Social Mobility (71/388 schools): enrolling and graduating large proportions of Pell Grant recipients, and First-Year Experiences (27/78 schools): a practice known to lead to academic success. APU has made Forbes’ list: “Top 25 Universities According To Alumni Ratings,” based on alumni agreement with statements: “You received a high-quality education;” “Your education was worth the cost;” “If you had to do it all over again, you would attend the same institution;” “You would recommend the educational path you took to other people;” and “You would not be where you are today without your degree.”