» Student Exchange Program

Chapman’s Student Exchange Program offers you the opportunity to study in Southern California while earning college credit. With a wide range of academic disciplines available, you can tailor your exchange experience to align with your interests.

This page has pre-arrival information, key dates and deadlines, and additional resources for incoming exchange students. Whether you’ve been accepted, nominated, or interested in attending, we look forward to welcoming you to the Chapman community!

Why study at Chapman?

• Chapman welcomes about 15 new exchange students each semester.
• Approximately 10,000 undergraduate students in total.
• 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio (among the lowest in the United States).
• Students can choose from over 100 areas of study within 11 colleges for a personalized education.
• Categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 “high research activity” institution.
• Students learn directly from distinguished world-class faculty including Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur fellows, published authors and Academy Award winners.
• Home to 200+ student clubs and organizations, 20 athletic teams, and 5 intramural sports teams.
• Conveniently located about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, 10 minutes from Disneyland, and 20 minutes from local beaches.

For information on why you should choose Chapman, visit our Student Life website.

Nomination and application process

Chapman will review nominated students through the Nomination Form during the application period.

• Nominations are reviewed after the nomination deadline, and then students are preliminarily accepted. 
• Once accepted, you will be contacted with a link to complete Chapman’s application requirements. 
  • While completing the Chapman application, you can contact exchange@chapman.edu with any questions.
• You will then arrive in Orange County, attend exchange student orientation, and study at Chapman for one semester or academic year.

Eligibility requirements

To qualify as an exchange student at Chapman, you must:

• Meet the minimum language requirement: 80+ on TOEFL iBT or other demonstrated English proficiency.
• Meet the minimum GPA: 3.0 (US 4.0 scale)
• Be nominated by an eligible partner university or organization.

Important dates and deadlines

Key application dates and deadlines for exchange students are listed below:

Incoming Fall/AY Students

• Fall 2025 Nomination Deadline: March 15, 2025
• Fall 2025 Application Deadline: April 15, 2025
• Fall 2025 Course Registration Period: mid-April
• Fall 2025 Program Dates: August 19 - December 13
  • Suggested Arrival Date: August 19, 2025
  • Mandatory Exchange Orientation: August 20, 2025
    
  • Classes start: August 25, 2025

Incoming Spring Students

• Spring 2025 Nomination Deadline: October 1, 2024
• Spring 2025 Application Deadline: November 1, 2024
• Spring 2025 Course Registration Period: November 4 - 14
• Spring 2025 Program Dates: January 28 - May 24
  • Suggested Arrival Date: January 28, 2025
  • Mandatory Exchange Orientation: January 30, 2025
  • Classes start: February 3, 2025

Exchange Student Spotlight: Sonia Liu

Tune in to hear Sonia share her unique perspectives and experiences as a full-time student at Chapman following her journey from Soochow University in Taiwan.

Resources

Below, you'll find information about housing, dining, and other resources available to you so that your time at Chapman is comfortable and enjoyable.

Housing accommodations

The benefits provided by Chapman to exchange students vary from program to program.

If your exchange program does not have a housing benefit, you have your choice of applying to live on-campus or live in off-campus housing:

On-campus housing

Chapman offers spacious one- and two-bedroom apartments for exchange students in the Davis and Harris Apartments, located within walking distance of campus. 

For more details on amenities and to view photos of the residence building, visit the Davis and Harris Apartments page.

Off-campus housing

Depending on your home university’s benefits, you also have the option to live off-campus as an exchange student, separate from on-campus housing.

If you do decide to find your own housing off-campus, we have resources to help you locate rooms, apartments, and more in the local area on our Off-Campus Housing page.

Meal plans and student dining

If your program does not provide a meal plan for the dining hall, you can purchase a meal plan or arrange for self-catering accommodations.

Luckily, Chapman has excellent on-campus dining options as well. You can see the list of restaurants available to students and their details on our Dining page.

Academic calendar

To help coordinate your schedule, plan travel, meet academic deadlines, and see holidays, visit the Academic Calendar page.