Pepperdine University
#10 Best Communications Colleges in California- Graduation Rate
- 84% A
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $82,939 A
- Top 3% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $58,098 F
- 239% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 63% B
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 9.8× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $9.8 over 20 years. Ranked #10 in Best Communications Colleges in California.
Every $1 spent returns $9.8 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,050,877.
What The Data Says
-
A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 103% more than the national college median.
-
A 84% graduation rate — 47% above the national average.
-
A top feeder school for 5 major employers.
-
Every $1 invested returns $9.8 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.4%
- Top 57%
- Patents
- 26
- Linked to graduates
- Employer Pipelines
- 5
- Top feeder programs
- Patent Citations
- 238
- Downstream influence
Why Pepperdine University Matters
Pepperdine University is a private doctoral / professional university in Malibu, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 3% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Doctoral / Professional University
- Carnegie Class
- Doctoral/Professional
- Enrollment
- 3,553
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- 74
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Communications, Social Sciences, Psychology
Why students choose Pepperdine University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 63% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1290–1450. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $58,098 a year after grants and scholarships — 239% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $82,939 ten years after enrolling — 103% above the typical college, against $23,510 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 33% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.86 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Students at Pepperdine University can expect to earn an average of $82,939 a decade after graduation. This strong earning potential reflects the university's emphasis on high-demand fields such as Business, Communications, and Psychology. With a graduation rate of 84%, many students successfully complete their degrees and enter the workforce with solid earning prospects.
The Opportunity Insights data for Pepperdine is limited, but the university's environment supports upward mobility. The 20% Pell Grant rate indicates that a portion of students comes from low-income backgrounds. While specific mobility rates are not available, graduates typically enter fields that contribute positively to economic advancement.
Financial considerations are crucial for prospective students. The net price of attending Pepperdine stands at $58,098, while the median debt for graduates is $23,510. Students who thrive here tend to be driven, particularly in fields like Business and the Arts, where creativity and leadership skills are essential.
Rankings
- #10 Best Communications Colleges in California
- #17 Best Business Colleges in California
- #19 Highest-Paying Colleges for Communications
- #19 Best MBA Programs for Leadership
- #21 Best Online Colleges in California
- #25 Best MBA Programs in California
- #26 Best MBA Programs for Business Analytics
- #31 Best Biology Colleges in California
Can I Get In?
How selective Pepperdine University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Pepperdine University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Pepperdine University, located in Malibu, California, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 63% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,384. The graduation rate is roughly 84%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Retention Rate
- 88%
- SAT Average
- 1384
- ACT Midpoint
- 28
- SAT Range
- 1290–1450
- ACT Range
- 29–32
- Full-Time Faculty
- 47%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $14,314
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 13:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.74
- First-Gen Students
- 18%
- Applicants
- 11,466
- Admitted
- 5,585
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Pepperdine University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 12% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.
- Yield Rate
- 12%
- of admits enroll
- Submitted SAT
- 18%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 10%
- of enrolled freshmen
Test-optional, in practice. Only about 28% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Pepperdine University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Pepperdine University is $69,918, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $58,098. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $50,560 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,510 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $69,918
- Out-of-State
- $69,918
- Avg Net Price
- $58,098
- Median Debt
- $23,510
- Pell Grant Rate
- 20%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 37%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $50,560
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $42,674
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $51,063
- Family Income $110K+
- $65,081
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Pepperdine University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Pepperdine University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Pepperdine University earn a median of $82,939, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $64,934
- 8 Years
- $72,056
- 10 Years
- $82,939
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.28x
- Earning > $25K
- 78%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (522)
- 80%
- 100% (522)
- 80%
- 100% (522)
- 80%
- 100% (522)
- 80%
Where Grads Go
Pepperdine University is a top feeder for:
Rank among programs feeding each employer.
Top employers of Pepperdine University’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.
How Pepperdine Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Pepperdine University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Pepperdine University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $58,098/year ($232,392 total). Graduates earn $82,939 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,283,269 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,050,877 (9.8× your investment). The median debt is $23,510, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 84% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $232,392
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $2,283,269
- Net Return
- $2,050,877
- ROI Multiple
- 9.8×
- Cost Per Year
- $58,098
- Median Debt
- $23,510
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 84%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Pepperdine University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Pepperdine University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.86%, well above the typical college. About 4.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 43.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $124,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.86%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 43.1%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 4.3%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $168,608
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Pepperdine University produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 26 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.39%
- Top 57% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 26
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 238
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.66%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-7,391,000
Top Programs
The fields Pepperdine University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 23% $74,271 early-career
- Communications 15% $54,842 early-career
- Social Sciences 11% $56,154 early-career
- Psychology 10% $40,390 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 6% $26,899 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 6% $21,864 early-career
- English & Literature 2% $35,271 early-career
- Physical Sciences 2%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Pepperdine University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- CAdvertising Manager$138,730 · 6% growthAdaptable 64
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Pepperdine University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Pepperdine University, located in Malibu, California, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 63% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,384. The graduation rate is roughly 84%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Pepperdine University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Pepperdine University is $69,918, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $58,098. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $50,560 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,510 in federal student loans.
Is Pepperdine University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Pepperdine University earn a median of $82,939, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Pepperdine University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Pepperdine University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.86%, well above the typical college. About 4.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 43.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $124,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Pepperdine University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Pepperdine University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.86, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Is Pepperdine University really test-optional?
In practice, yes. Only about 28% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at Pepperdine University (2024-25 Common Data Set).
What percentage of admitted students enroll at Pepperdine University?
About 12% of admitted students choose to enroll at Pepperdine University — its yield rate (2024-25 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
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Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Pepperdine University.
- Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RI · Close peer80% grad $90,008 earn 65% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottPrescott, AZ · Close peer69% grad $84,131 earn 77% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar size
- Marist UniversityPoughkeepsie, NY · Close peer80% grad $77,819 earn 57% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Yeshiva UniversityNew York, NY · Close peer83% grad $71,353 earn 56% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Providence CollegeProvidence, RI · Close peer87% grad $87,054 earn 51% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX · Close peer84% grad $78,354 earn 63% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Pepperdine University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Pepperdine University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.86, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note