Good

Score: 66/100

Overall (traditional)

Outcome Rating

88/100 · earnings-weighted

Pepperdine University

4-Year Private Non-Profit

📍 Malibu, California 90263

🌐 www.pepperdine.edu/

Pepperdine University — acceptance rate 50%, tuition $65,990

Pepperdine University campus, Malibu, CA. Photo: en:user:Wolffystyle, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Outcomes

88/100

Affordability

19/100

Resources

70/100

Experience

84/100

Prestige

66/100

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology

Quick Stats

9,545

Total Enrollment

85%

Graduation Rate

86%

Retention Rate

13.0:1

Student-Faculty Ratio

50%

Acceptance Rate

N/A

Avg Net Price

Earnings, Debt & Completion

What happens to students who enroll at Pepperdine University, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

$82,939

Median earnings 10 yrs after entry

$64,934

Median earnings 6 yrs after entry

$23,510

Median debt at graduation

83.4%

Completion rate (within 150% of normal time)

1,384

Average SAT

Median ACT

20.3%

Students receiving Pell grants

Typical debt at graduation equals about 28% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.

Earnings rank: 91st percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (CA wage index 1.21). This drives the Outcome Rating.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.

Earnings by Major at Pepperdine University

Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.

Major	1 yr after	4 yrs after	vs. national	Rank (pay)	Rank (wage-adj.)	Median debt
Economics	$54,267	$104,943	+27%	#54 of 368	#71	$24,250
International Business	—	$100,595	+37%	#11 of 115	#14	—
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$69,751	$91,227	+34%	#49 of 1176	#105	$27,000
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	$45,988	$81,417	+28%	#7 of 178	#28	$24,112
Political Science and Government	$42,306	$75,954	+20%	#58 of 565	#124	$23,625
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$34,388	$65,100	+19%	#62 of 610	#174	$23,336
International/Globalization Studies	$36,920	$62,495	+4%	#29 of 87	#43	$25,722
Psychology	$23,438	$61,353	+21%	#78 of 1027	#195	$22,580
Journalism	$42,536	$58,801	+4%	#65 of 187	#111	—
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	$23,182	$55,432	+10%	#47 of 158	#87	$21,125
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	—	$50,594	+27%	#13 of 255	#43	$19,500
Communication and Media Studies	$48,398	—	—	—	—	$19,500
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	$33,228	—	—	—	—	$23,013
Biology	$20,031	—	—	—	—	$25,379

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.

For parents & investors

The Pepperdine University Town Property Report

Top nearby ZIP by cap rate: 91307 (3.4% cap, Los Angeles)

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🏆 Where Pepperdine University Ranks

Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.

🥉

Applied Behavior Analysis

of 40 schools

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other

of 12 schools

#15

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other

of 67 schools

#17

Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General

of 30 schools

#17

Organizational Leadership

of 100 schools

#21

Educational Leadership and Administration, General

of 100 schools

#25

International Business/Trade/Commerce

of 70 schools

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Category	In-State	Out-of-State
Tuition	$65,990	$65,990
Room	$15,200
Board	$8,070
Total Cost (On-Campus)	$93,512	$93,512

Financial Aid

92%

Receive Any Aid

20%

Receive Pell Grants

44%

Take Out Loans

N/A

Avg Net Price

Programs & Career Paths

Top Degree Programs

Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.

Clinical Psychology 788 grads/yr Business Administration and Management, General 635 grads/yr Psychology, General 290 grads/yr Law 197 grads/yr Dispute Resolution 134 grads/yr Management Science 108 grads/yr Educational Leadership and Administration, General 100 grads/yr Applied Behavior Analysis 96 grads/yr Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General 87 grads/yr International Business/Trade/Commerce 72 grads/yr Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other 53 grads/yr Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 51 grads/yr Organizational Leadership 50 grads/yr Exercise Science and Kinesiology 49 grads/yr Biology/Biological Sciences, General 48 grads/yr Economics, General 46 grads/yr Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 40 grads/yr Political Science and Government, General 36 grads/yr Public Policy Analysis, General 27 grads/yr Financial Mathematics 26 grads/yr

Related Career Paths

Careers that graduates from Pepperdine University's top programs commonly pursue.

Managers, all other

$137k/yr 1,333,700 jobs

Clinical and counseling psychologists

$96k/yr 76,300 jobs

Psychology teachers, postsecondary

$80k/yr 52,500 jobs

Chief executives

$206k/yr 309,400 jobs

Compensation and benefits managers

$140k/yr 20,900 jobs

Human resources managers

$140k/yr 221,900 jobs

Sales managers

$138k/yr 619,500 jobs

Training and development managers

$127k/yr 46,400 jobs

Student Demographics

9,545

Total Students

67%

Women

96%

Traditional Age (18-24)

👥 Race & Ethnicity

White 42%

Hispanic 21%

Black 8%

Asian 12%

Two or More 5%

Non-Resident 8%

🏠 Living Arrangements

💻 Learning Mode

In-Person 61%

Hybrid (Some Online) 9%

Fully Online 29%

📊 Age Distribution

18-24 (Traditional) 96%

25-64 (Adult) 3%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Pepperdine University?

Pepperdine University has an acceptance rate of 50%. This indicates a less selective admissions process with good chances for qualified applicants.

How much does it cost to attend Pepperdine University?

Tuition at Pepperdine University is $65,990 for in-state students and $65,990 for out-of-state students .

What is the graduation rate at Pepperdine University?

The graduation rate at Pepperdine University is 85%. This is considered an excellent graduation rate, indicating strong student success and support systems.

Is Pepperdine University a good school?

Pepperdine University has a Repit College Score of 66/100 (Grade: B). Our rating evaluates five key factors:

Outcomes (A): Graduation and retention rates
Affordability (F): Net cost and financial aid access
Resources (B): Class sizes and selectivity
Experience (A): Campus life and learning format
Prestige (B): Reputation and recognition

How many students attend Pepperdine University?

Pepperdine University has a total enrollment of 9,545 students. Most students (96%) are traditional college-age (18-24).

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