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Summary
Pepperdine University is a private institution that was founded in 1937. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,447, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 830 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Pepperdine University's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 55. Its tuition and fees are $40,752 (2011-12).
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 Bible 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 and a triathlon group, and a variety of intramural sports, from dodgeball to beach volleyball. Freshmen and sophomores must live in university housing on the dry campus, and student spiritual life leaders live in each residence hall. About 25 percent of students are active in the school’s seven sororities and five fraternities, though there is no official Greek housing on campus.
In addition to its main campus in Malibu, Pepperdine University offers graduate courses at California campuses in Los Angeles, Irvine, Santa Clara, Enrico, and Westlake Village. The school also has facilities in Germany, England, Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, 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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Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. The University is located on 830 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, California. The University is recognized nationally for its excellent academic programs and enrolls approximately 7,500 full-time and part-time students in its five colleges and schools. With a full-time faculty of 400 professors and scholars, Pepperdine offers bachelor, master and doctoral studies in a wide range of disciplines. Pepperdine has achieved a preeminent position with regard to its international campuses in Heidelberg, Germany; London, England; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lausanne, Switzerland; Florence, Italy and Shanghai, China. Additionally, undergraduate and graduate programs are offered through educational alliances with world-class institutions of higher learning throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. More than fifty percent of undergraduate students spend a semester or more abroad in international programs. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1937 |
| Religious affiliation | Church of Christ |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2010 Endowment | $564,832,000 |
Applying
When applying to Pepperdine University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 5. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 5. The application fee at Pepperdine University is $65. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 30.6 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 31% |
| Application deadline | January 5 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 5 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Pepperdine University is 13:1, and the school has 65.2 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Pepperdine University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Visual and Performing Arts; and Psychology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 89.0 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 13:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 71% - High | ||||||||||
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Student Life
Pepperdine University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,447, with a gender distribution of 45.7 percent male students and 54.3 percent female students. 58.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 42.0 percent of students live off campus. Pepperdine University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Pepperdine University.
| Total enrollment | 7,604 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
Pepperdine University offers a number of student services including health service and health insurance. Pepperdine University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Pepperdine University, 74 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Pepperdine University.
| Students who have cars on campus | 74% - Medium |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Pepperdine University, 55.7 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $37,160.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $40,752 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $11,844 (2011-12) - High |
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* Overview details based on 2010 data
