Pepperdine University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Malibu, California. It enrolls 3,553 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes86
Value5
Affordability9
Selectivity78
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Pepperdine University admits 62.9% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
62.9%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1290 – 1450
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
29 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Pepperdine University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
18.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $58,098 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$69,918
Room & Board (on-campus)
$21,750
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,500
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$93,512
Application fee: $65 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$50,560
$30,001 – $48,000
$42,674
$48,001 – $75,000
$51,063
$75,001 – $110,000
$61,851
Over $110,000
$65,081
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,52910%percentile
$13,25025%percentile
$23,510Medianpercentile
$31,02375%percentile
$42,62590%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $22,000
↓ $1,510
No Pell $18,614
↓ $4,896
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $4,010
Independent students $35,027
↑ $11,517
Female students $20,500
↓ $3,010
Male students $18,713
↓ $4,797
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,250, less than completers ($23,510), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
83% of students who start here finish within six years, and 87% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
83%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
87%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $82,939 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$82,939
Earning > $25K
87%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$71,900
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$84,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$88,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$71,100
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$74,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,600, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
12.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,553 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
3,553
Part-Time
5%
First-Generation
18%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 43.8%1,556
Hispanic 19.4%690
Asian 14.6%520
Other 8.0%284
International 7.8%277
Black 3.7%130
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Pepperdine University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Pepperdine University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
63 distinct programs across
20 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.7B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$125,269
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
402 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
139
35%
$165,711
Associate Professors
77
19%
$130,685
Assistant Professors
63
16%
$110,650
Instructors
92
23%
$83,642
Lecturers
27
7%
$83,169
No Rank
4
1%
$87,434
Pros & Cons of Pepperdine University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Pepperdine University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Pepperdine University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pepperdine University
The questions families ask most about Pepperdine University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Pepperdine University hard to get into?
Admissions at Pepperdine University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 62.9%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Pepperdine University?
62.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Pepperdine University?
Aim for 1450 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1290 and 1450 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Pepperdine University?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 29 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Pepperdine University cost?
Budget around $58,098 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Pepperdine University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $82,939 a year against a net price of $58,098, about 1.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Pepperdine University known for?
Mostly Counseling Psychology, Business Administration, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Pepperdine University graduates earn?
About $82,939 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Pepperdine University accredited?
Yes. Pepperdine University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Pepperdine University?
3,553 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Pepperdine University?
83% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Pepperdine University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Pepperdine University located?
Pepperdine University is located in Malibu, California.
What programs does Pepperdine University offer?
63 different programs, most commonly Counseling Psychology, Business Administration, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Pepperdine University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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