by our College Data Analytics TeamPepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution in Malibu, California enrolling 3,553 undergraduates. It accepts 63% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 83%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #97 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 2%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Pepperdine University ranks #97 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 2%.
College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities in its annual rankings and ranks them in a variety of ways, including most diverse, best overall quality, best for non-traditional students, and much more.
Pepperdine University was awarded 492 badges in the 2027 rankings.
College Factual ranked Pepperdine as #97 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list. This puts it in the top 5% of all schools in the nation.
Within the state, Pepperdine holds the #22 spot on the Best Colleges in California ranking.
See all of the rankings for Pepperdine University.
Pepperdine University has an acceptance rate of 63%, which means the school is serious about who it admits. Take your time in putting together a strong application that highlights why you are a good fit for Pepperdine.
About 18% of students accepted to Pepperdine submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 650 and 710. Math scores were between 640 and 740.
Pepperdine received ACT scores from 10% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 29 and 32.
Learn more about Pepperdine University admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at Pepperdine is an impressive 12 to 1. That’s quite good when you compare it to the national average of 15 to 1. This is a good sign that students at the school will have more opportunities for one-on-one interactions with their professors.
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Pepperdine University is 47%. This is comparable to the national average of 47%.
Pepperdine University has a freshmen retention rate of 88%. That’s a good sign that full-time students like the school and their professors enough to want to stick around for another year. It’s also a sign that the admissions team did a good job in choosing applicants who were a good fit for the school.
Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At Pepperdine the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 83%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Pepperdine University.
The current enrollment includes 3,553 undergraduates at Pepperdine.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Pepperdine University.
The typical net cost at Pepperdine is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,560 | $42,674 | $51,063 | $61,851 | $65,081 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Pepperdine, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At Pepperdine, approximately 37% of students took out student loans averaging $6,494 a year. That adds up to $25,976 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 1.3%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Pepperdine University.
Although some majors pay more than others, students who graduate from Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree go on to jobs where they make an average salary of $82,939 in their early years. This is good news for future Pepperdine University graduates since it is 69% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year.
See which majors at Pepperdine University make the most money.
Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution found in Malibu, California. Malibu is a good match for students who enjoy the safety and convenience of the suburbs. Get more details about the location of Pepperdine University.
Contact details for Pepperdine University are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90263 |
| Phone: | 3105064000 |
| Website: | www.pepperdine.edu/ |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepperdine_University |
In the most recent reporting year, students from 21 majors graduated from Pepperdine University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 3,367 | NA |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 884 | $47,307 |
| Business Administration & Management | 596 | $86,963 |
| General Psychology | 279 | $30,135 |
| Law | 183 | NA |
| Dispute Resolution | 149 | $41,371 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 125 | $46,780 |
| Educational Administration | 116 | $78,499 |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 86 | NA |
| Legal Research | 76 | NA |
85 students took at least one online class at Pepperdine University.
Online learning is becoming popular at even the oldest colleges and universities in the United States. Not only are online classes great for returning adults with busy schedules, they are also frequented by a growing number of traditional students.
Learn more about online learning at Pepperdine University.
Curious how schools stack up against Pepperdine? Compare them side by side using College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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