Pepperdine University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Redlands, California · Private nonprofit · Open access
Pepperdine University is a private nonprofit university in Redlands, California that admits about 81% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $22,867 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business/Commerce, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 6.3 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Pepperdine University is a private institution located in Redlands, California. For the most recent reporting cycle, Pepperdine University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 81%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1231 and an ACT composite around 29. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $22,867 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Pepperdine University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Pepperdine University?
Pepperdine University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Pepperdine University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 530–653, with an EBRW midpoint near 615. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–30. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Pepperdine University actually cost?
Published tuition is $57,614 for in-state students and $57,614 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,624 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $22,867 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 35% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Pepperdine University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Pepperdine University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business/Commerce, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Psychology, General. Across all programs, Pepperdine University confers roughly 542 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business/Commerce, General program report a median income of about $84,188 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | 126 | $84,188 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 105 | $80,923 |
| Psychology, General | 78 | $59,194 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 72 | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 51 | $68,187 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 43 | $70,817 |
| Biology, General | 36 | $72,217 |
| Political Science and Government | 31 | — |
Is Pepperdine University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Pepperdine University disclosed 13 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 6.3 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 2 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- Stanford University4% acceptance
- University of California-Berkeley12% acceptance
- University of California-Los Angeles9% acceptance
- University of Southern California10% acceptance
- University of California-Davis42% acceptance
- University of California-Irvine26% acceptance
- University of California-San Diego25% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Barbara63% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Pepperdine University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Pepperdine University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Pepperdine University
What GPA do I need for Pepperdine University?
Pepperdine University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Pepperdine University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 530–653, with an EBRW midpoint near 615. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–30.
How much does Pepperdine University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Pepperdine University after grants and scholarships is $22,867 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Pepperdine University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Pepperdine University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Pepperdine University?
Pepperdine University accepts about 81% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Pepperdine University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Pepperdine University is a private nonprofit institution located in Redlands, California.
What are the most popular majors at Pepperdine University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Pepperdine University by annual graduates are Business/Commerce, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Psychology, General. The school awards about 542 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Pepperdine University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Pepperdine University reported 13 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 6.3 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.