Pepperdine University

Malibu, California · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Suburb

At a glance

Average net price: $58,098What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 63%
Graduation rate: 84%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 3,553
In-state tuition: $69,918Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $69,918
SAT midpoint: 1,350
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $82,939Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$58,098

1/5

Better than 0% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

84%

5/5

Better than 92% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$82,939

5/5

Better than 92% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$23,510

3/5

Better than 60% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$93,512

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$58,098

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Pepperdine University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	84%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	88%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$23,510
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$82,939

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Pepperdine University by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$69,751	186
Economics	$54,267	31
Communication and Media Studies	$48,398	17
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	$45,988	85
Journalism	$42,536	13
Political Science and Government	$42,306	38
International/Globalization Studies	$36,920	18
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$34,388	51
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	$33,228	13
Psychology, General	$23,438	89
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	$23,182	3
Biology, General	$20,031	49
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	Not reported	23
Finance and Financial Management Services	Not reported	20
Music	Not reported	17
Accounting and Related Services	Not reported	16
Mathematics and Computer Science	Not reported	16
Fine and Studio Arts	Not reported	15
International Business	Not reported	14
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	Not reported	11
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Not reported	10
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	Not reported	9
Philosophy	Not reported	9
Sociology	Not reported	8
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	Not reported	8
Natural Sciences	Not reported	7
Physics	Not reported	7
Religion/Religious Studies	Not reported	7
History	Not reported	7
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	Not reported	5
Nutrition Sciences	Not reported	4
Mathematics	Not reported	4
Chemistry	Not reported	4
English Language and Literature, General	Not reported	3
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Not reported	2
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	2
Sustainability Studies	Not reported	2
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology	Not reported	1
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	Not reported	Not reported
Area Studies	Not reported	Not reported
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	Not reported
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	Not reported

All 42 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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