Pepperdine University
#76 in National Universities (tie)
Overview
Pepperdine University is a private institution that was founded in 1937. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,662 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 830 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Pepperdine University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #76. Its tuition and fees are $66,742.
Squeezed in among the Santa Monica Mountain foothills, Pepperdine University is a Christian college known for its picturesque location in Malibu, Calif. The school upholds the New Testament-based traditions of the Churches of Christ. Students must attend 14 spiritual events a semester and take at least three religion courses during their time at Pepperdine. There is a Church of Christ on campus, as well as a handful of student-led ministries. Outside of church, the school’s sports teams, the Pepperdine Waves, compete in the Division I West Coast Conference. Students can also play club sports, such as lacrosse, tennis and surfing, and a variety of intramural sports, from flag football to volleyball. Freshmen and sophomores must live in university housing on the dry campus, and student spiritual life leaders live in each residence hall. About a third of students are active in more than a dozen sororities and fraternities, though there is no official Greek housing on campus.
In addition to its main campus in Malibu, Pepperdine University offers graduate courses at campuses in West Los Angeles, Irvine, Encino and San Jose. The school also has facilities in Germany, England, Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, China and Washington, D.C. Beverly Hills is 24 miles away and Disneyland is 54 miles away from Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. Los Angeles is about an hour’s drive away. The school has graduated dozens of top athletes, including baseball player Randy Wolf, golfer Jason Allred, basketball player Alex Acker and beach volleyball Olympic medalist Nicole Sanderson, among its many notable alumni.
Pepperdine University is a private institution that was founded in 1937. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,662 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 830 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Pepperdine University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #76. Its tuition and fees are $66,742.
Squeezed in among the Santa Monica Mountain foothills, Pepperdine University is a Christian college known for its picturesque location in Malibu, Calif. The school upholds the New Testament-based traditions of the Churches of Christ. Students must attend 14 spiritual events a semester and take at least three religion courses during their time at Pepperdine. There is a Church of Christ on campus, as well as a handful of student-led ministries. Outside of church, the school’s sports teams, the Pepperdine Waves, compete in the Division I West Coast Conference. Students can also play club sports, such as lacrosse, tennis and surfing, and a variety of intramural sports, from flag football to volleyball. Freshmen and sophomores must live in university housing on the dry campus, and student spiritual life leaders live in each residence hall. About a third of students are active in more than a dozen sororities and fraternities, though there is no official Greek housing on campus.
In addition to its main campus in Malibu, Pepperdine University offers graduate courses at campuses in West Los Angeles, Irvine, Encino and San Jose. The school also has facilities in Germany, England, Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, China and Washington, D.C. Beverly Hills is 24 miles away and Disneyland is 54 miles away from Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. Los Angeles is about an hour’s drive away. The school has graduated dozens of top athletes, including baseball player Randy Wolf, golfer Jason Allred, basketball player Alex Acker and beach volleyball Olympic medalist Nicole Sanderson, among its many notable alumni.
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At-a-Glance
Setting
N/A
Tuition & Fees
$66,742
Undergraduate Enrollment
3,662
Acceptance Rate
49%
2024 Rankings
Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.
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Admissions
Cost
Tuition & Fees
$66,742
Room & Board
$23,270(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$49,123
$35,167
$35,167
Tuition & Fees
$66,742
Room & Board
$23,270(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$49,123
*Average cost after aid
Academics
76%
13:1
74%
Popular Majors
MAJOR
% OF GRADUATES
ALUMNI STARTING SALARY
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
29%
$63,346
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
17%
$35,556
Social Sciences
11%
$61,800
Psychology
9%
$34,564
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology
7%
$22,552
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* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.
Faculty Research Impact
Bibliometric Rank
298
Bibliometrics is the statistical analyses of publications and citations for the purpose of measuring faculty research impact.Publications Cited in Top 25% of Journals
54%
Publications Cited in Top 5% of Journals
15%
Total Papers published between 2018-2022
747
Citations Per Publication
6:1
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Students
3,662
Graduate Enrollment
6,368
Total Enrollment
10,030
Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students
3,449
Student Diversity
Gender Distribution
Ethnic Diversity
43%
Minority Enrollment
43%
Minority Enrollment
46%
White
18%
Hispanic
14%
Asian
9%
International
7%
Two or more races
4%
Black
2%
Unknown
Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.
Campus Life
Housing and Dorms
Types of campus housing available:
Student Activities
50+
Sports Teams
5
Fraternities
9
Sororities
After College
Graduation Rate
76%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
47%
Average Debt at Graduation
$28,962
$49,372
$49,372
Graduation Rate
76%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
47%
Average Debt at Graduation
$28,962
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Reviews & Ratings
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Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.
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