Pepperdine University Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

What kind of school it really is

Pepperdine University is a private, nonprofit institution offering four years or more of study. It is in Malibu, California, in Los Angeles County, and its location falls within the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is in the bustle of a big city: the census code places it in a suburb, within the urbanized area but outside the principal city. What it feels like to live there, you can only know by going to see it. If your child plans to live at home and commute every day, I recommend something very simple: drive that route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of their classes. The time shown on the map is almost never the real time.

The federal system that classifies colleges, Carnegie, places it among doctoral and professional universities, and in its undergraduate profile places it in the more selective admissions group. That classification comes from data from 2019-20 and describes a medium-sized, highly residential four-year school: at that time, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. Also according to those same historical data, at least half of its full-time-equivalent enrollment was graduate rather than undergraduate. It is a snapshot of a moment, not necessarily today’s exact mix, but it tells you something real: undergraduate and graduate students are together here, and graduate study carries weight.

The highest level the institution reports offering is the doctorate, and it is classified as a school that awards degrees primarily at the bachelor’s level or above. That does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in exists there, or whether it connects to graduate study. That must be verified program by program.

And there is something worth saying plainly: Pepperdine University is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this national directory, 138 have one of those three designations. Pepperdine’s absence from that list does not say which communities it serves or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations are there, and—if you can—talk with someone who already studies there.

One note about price, so it does not get lost from the beginning: do not choose or rule out this school based on the sticker price. Ask in writing how much your family would pay after scholarships and aid. That is the number that truly gets compared among colleges, and we will look at it carefully later.

How many students there are and who they are

In fall 2023, Pepperdine University had 9,545 students enrolled in total: 3,629 undergraduate students and 5,916 graduate students. It is worth pausing here for a second, because the big number can easily mislead. If your child is starting a bachelor’s degree, the number that matters to your family is not 9,545: it is 3,629. The total is inflated by graduate enrollment, which carries more weight at this school than undergraduate study.

Among the 941 private, selective-admission four-year schools that make up this census comparison group, Pepperdine is among the largest: at most one in ten has more students than it does. IPEDS also calculates a full-time-equivalent enrollment of 7,327 students for the entire student body, an estimate that combines full-time enrollment with a fraction of part-time enrollment and does not measure each person’s actual course load.

At the undergraduate level, 19 out of every 100 students reported being Hispanic or Latino in fall 2023. It is not a majority, but it is not unusual either: among the 941 private selective schools in this census, that proportion places it in the top quarter. Put another way: compared with similar schools, there is a clearer Latino presence here than at most. But be careful with that comparison: the peer group is assembled by school type and control, not by state, and it does not account for the fact that Pepperdine is in California, where that matters. It also does not go down to the major level; it is a figure for the whole school.

There are more women than men in undergraduate study—59 out of every 100 are women—and almost no adult students: only 3 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. A little more than half of newly enrolled students, 55 out of every 100, reported a permanent address in California when they applied. If you live outside California, this does not rule you out of anything; it simply tells you that you will be among a local majority, not the entire student body.

How academics work

The academic year at Pepperdine University is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution accepts credit for AP examinations, but did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. And here is a hard truth that should not be softened: saying it accepts AP does not mean it gives credit for every exam. We do not know what scores it requires or how many credits it awards, or whether those credits count toward your child’s exact major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand. The institution also reported that it enrolls high school students in college-credit courses within a formal dual-enrollment program.

In a recent year, Pepperdine awarded 824 bachelor’s degrees across 17 families of majors. The family awarding the most degrees was business and administration, with 29 out of every 100 degrees that year—no other area surpassed it, but it does not account for a majority either. Compared with 942 private selective schools in this census, Pepperdine falls in the quarter that awards the most bachelor’s degrees each year. This counts degrees awarded, not people or the current catalog of majors, and it does not measure quality or the job each person gets afterward. Before deciding, ask about the exact major your child is interested in: how many graduated in it, how long it took, and what the complete curriculum is like.

The official student-to-faculty ratio is 13 to 1. It sounds low, and on the general scale for this kind of profile, it is. But compared with similar schools, half or more reported that same ratio or a lower one—so Pepperdine is above the median of its group, not below it. Both things are true at the same time, which is why I am telling you separately: the ratio is low in absolute terms, but relatively high among peers. And this number does not tell you the actual size of a classroom: it is an institutional ratio, not a count of people in your child’s classroom.

The institution also reports several structured academic pathways: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken only at night or on weekends, and several pathways related to teacher certification, including state approval for initial teacher certification. The fact that these pathways exist as an institutional report does not tell you capacity, requirements, or whether they apply to your child’s major: ask by name.

Getting in: what it requires and what really happens

This is where many families feel a knot in their stomach, so let’s untangle it with specific numbers.

Pepperdine University does not have open admission: there are elements it reviews before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks five as required: the high school record, high school grade-point average, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and, for those to whom it applies, the English-language-proficiency examination. Put simply: it is not enough to gather documents. The essay is required. Your child has to write. In addition, the university considers—without requiring—work experience and whether a family member attended there. Your child cannot change the latter. If it is not their case, do not spend energy on it: spend it on what is within their control. The published application fee is $65.

Now, the numbers that truly define the front door:

The admission rate, 50 out of every 100, places Pepperdine on the lower side compared with 942 private selective schools: seven out of every ten in that group, or more, accepted a greater percentage of their applicants. It is not automatic, and it is not a lottery either: the application is reviewed carefully.

But there is a second number many families never see, and one that I find among the most revealing in this entire article: out of every 100 admitted students, only 12 enrolled. That is, out of every 8 young people who received Pepperdine’s yes, roughly one ended up coming. The other seven already had a place here and chose another path. And I want to be very clear about something: that is not a stain on the school. The federal record does not say why each person decided what they decided. What it does tell you is that receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend. What others did does not tell you what they will offer you. Wait for your own letter with the net price—what it will truly cost you—before deciding whether this school remains on the list.

About tests: the SAT and ACT are optional. If submitted, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid all the same. Of students who enrolled, only 14 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score. Among them, the middle half scored between 630 and 710 in reading and writing, and between 620 and 740 in mathematics. Those figures are for people who had already enrolled and submitted scores—not for all applicants, and they do not prove that the score influenced the decision. That 630 is not a minimum, and that 710 is not a guarantee of anything either.

Regarding transfers: in fall 2023, 115 undergraduate students entered Pepperdine for the first time after having studied at another college. Compared with similar schools, that number places it in the upper half—although it is a count of people, not a proportion, and it depends on the school’s size. What we do not know is how many credits those students received, or the rate of Pepperdine students who transfer elsewhere: that figure is not reported. Its absence does not prove that no one leaves.

The sticker price, plainly

For the 2023-24 year, the total cost of attendance at Pepperdine University for a first-time student living on campus was $93,512. That number is the same for California residents and out-of-state residents. It breaks down as follows: $66,742 for tuition and fees, $23,270 for housing and food, $1,000 for books and materials, plus an estimate of other expenses—transportation, laundry, entertainment—calculated by the financial-aid office itself.

Compared with 888 similar schools, this total cost is among the highest in the group. That is not surprising given the type of institution, but it is worth seeing in writing with all its figures before it arrives as a shock in a letter.

This number, however, is the sticker price. It is not your family’s bill. And this is where discipline matters more than optimism: complete the FAFSA, request the aid letter in writing, and until you have it in hand, you do not know what this school truly costs your family.

The net price: what each family really pays

At Pepperdine University, among 84 first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $36,463. Among 64 students in the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $40,201; among 220 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $52,946. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income and their own.

There is a difference of $16,483 between the average for the lower-income band (84 students) and the average for the higher-income band (220 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $52,216.

Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this one falls in the most expensive quarter for lower-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you need to request the aid letter before deciding.

Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying yours correctly is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The controlling figure is the aid letter you receive.

The aid that does arrive, and the loans that do too

92 out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Pepperdine received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something is common here, not the exception. Among those who received it, the average was $35,220 for the year—a large number, but an average, not a guaranteed offer for your child. Within that average are people who received much more and people who received much less.

The Pell Grant—federal aid for low-income families—went to 20 out of every 100 students. An average scholarship of $35,220 is real money, but it is not a price: what determines how much your family will pay is the number remaining after all aid, and that number is not in this overall average. It must be requested school by school, by name.

Regarding loans: 38 out of every 100 undergraduate students at Pepperdine received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 academic year. That is more than two out of every ten, but fewer than half. Of those who borrowed, each received $6,489 on average that year. Compared with 942 private selective schools, Pepperdine is on the lower side: seven out of every ten in that group, or more, had a higher proportion of students with loans.

Some young people went through the year without debt and some borrowed. Which group your child falls into is not decided by this overall percentage: it is decided by the financial-aid letter they receive, in writing. And there is an important clarification that should not be lost: that average of $6,489 is for only one year and only for federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing, debt with banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates after several years; that number is not in this report.

The institution also reports a tuition installment payment plan as a formal mechanism for managing cost.

Life outside the classroom

Pepperdine does have institution-owned housing, with reported capacity for 2,545 students on or off campus. Not all full-time, first-time students are required to live there—that does not mean that no program requires it. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. Having a room does not guarantee a bed; having a meal plan does not tell you whether it is included. Request in writing this year’s rate, the deadline to apply for housing, and whether you are guaranteed a space or placed on a waitlist.

There is ROTC opportunity in two branches: Army and Air Force. The Navy is not marked. Being marked does not mean the program is necessarily offered on this campus; ask by name before building a plan around this.

Pepperdine competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA—not with other associations named in the report. The institution reports membership for basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This membership belongs to the school, not to your child: if they are interested, write directly to the coach for the specific sport and ask about roster spots, division, and athletic scholarship, all in writing.

Regarding distance education: Pepperdine offers courses and at least one complete distance program, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. But in the fall count, only 3 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance; the other 97 took at least one in-person class. Confirm the specific level and major if this matters to your family.

The library has employed staff, annual spending above the government-recorded threshold of $100,000, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee there are databases specific to your child’s major: ask by major name.

Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a student veterans organization, and a webpage for disability services published in the federal system.

Those who stay and those who graduate

Of the cohort that entered in 2022 full time and seeking a bachelor’s degree—940 students—808 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later: 86 out of every 100. Compared with 930 similar schools, Pepperdine is in the upper part of that group. This number combines remaining enrolled and graduating in a single figure; it does not separate the two outcomes or say what happened to the rest.

As for graduation itself: out of every 100 students who entered a bachelor’s degree in 2017—full time, without having previously attended another college—85 left with a degree within six years or less. In concrete numbers, 729 out of 861. Within four years, the figure drops to 75 out of every 100: a difference of 10 points between those who finish on time and those who need a little more time. Compared with 920 similar schools, Pepperdine is among those that graduate the most students: nine out of every ten in that group reported an equal or lower proportion.

Here is a truth I do not want to soften: a high graduation percentage does not mean the same thing will happen to your child. It describes what happened to a specific cohort, at a specific time. What is within your control is for them to begin with their credits in order from the first semester, and to know from day one who their academic adviser is and when the courses required for their major are scheduled.

IPEDS also follows students for eight full years. Of a cohort of 1,062 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—combining first-time students and students with prior experience, full-time and part-time—by August 2023, 83 out of every 100 had already earned a Pepperdine degree or certificate. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 86 out of every 100, four points above the group without Pell. Compared with 935 similar schools, Pepperdine falls in the top quarter for eight-year completion.

Again, this describes an earlier cohort; it does not decide whether your child will graduate there or how long it will take. What is worth doing is asking about the current supports in the program they are interested in and about outcomes for more recent cohorts, not only the one from eight years ago.

What this article cannot tell you

We do not have data here about what happens after graduation: employment, salaries, or the debt someone has when they finish their degree. That belongs to another conversation, with other sources, and we are not going to invent it.

Putting the pieces together

You now know an important and very concrete part of what Pepperdine University is: its size, selectivity, sticker price and actual price by income band, who receives aid and how much, and what happens to students who enroll, in official and verifiable figures.

But this piece is only one third of the map. What remains is what your child wants to study and what they have built so far. And what remains—the part that belongs to you—is what your family can and is willing to pay, once the real aid letter arrives, with its exact figure, not with averages from other families.

Your child’s role is to write their essay, send their documents, decide what they want to study and why. Your role is the money, the deadlines, the FAFSA, the aid letter, and the honest conversation about what the family can sustain. Pepperdine’s role is to admit, deny, and offer—or not offer—enough aid. None of those three parts belongs to the other two.

With these numbers in hand, you no longer enter this conversation blind. Put them together with what your child wants and what your family can pay, and from there, little by little, a real plan begins to emerge.

Source note: the information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reports from the United States Department of Education, with data corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, depending on the indicator. Best College Aid does not represent Pepperdine University or any agency of the United States government.