The Pepperdine Experience Where Scholars, Believers, Artists, Athletes, and Innovators Converge
Academic Divisions, Majors, and Minors MAJORS MINORS
46 52
Student to Faculty Ratio
13:1
5 Most Popular Majors
Business Administration
Psychology
Biology
Fine Arts
Natural Science
Majors Art, Art History, Music (Emphases: Applied Music (Sequences: Applied Guitar, Applied Vocal Performance), Composition, Composition for Screen Arts, Pre-Teaching Credential), Theatre Arts (Sequences: Acting, Directing, Musical Theatre, Production/ Design), Theatre and Screen Arts (Sequences: Acting, Directing)
Majors Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Natural Science, Nutritional Science, Physics, Sports Medicine
Minors Art, Art History, Composition for Music Majors, Multimedia Design, Music Composition, Music Performance, Theatre Design and Production, Songwriting, Worship Music for Music Majors
International Studies and Languages Integrated Marketing Communication
Political Science
Visit our website to plan your academic journey.
Business Administration Majors Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, International Business Minors Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship
Communication Majors Advertising, Communication Studies, Integrated Marketing Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, Screen Arts, Sport Administration Minors Communication Studies, Journalism, Multimedia Design, Rhetoric and Leadership
Majors French Studies, Hispanic Studies, International Studies (Specializations: Global Politics, Regional Studies), Italian Studies Minors Asian Studies, French Studies, German Studies, Hispanic Studies, Italian Studies
Humanities and Teacher Education Majors Creative Writing (Emphases: Fiction Writing, Poetry Writing, Screen and Television Writing), English (Emphases: Education and Secondary Teaching Credential, Literature, Writing and Rhetoric), Film (Emphases: Critical Studies, Production, Writing for Screen and Television), History (Emphasis: Business), Liberal Studies for Education Minors Creative Writing, English, Film, History, Writing Special Program Teacher Education Program
Minors Applied Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Nutritional Science, Physics, Public Health, Sports Medicine
Nursing Major Nursing (Four-Year Pathway, Two-Year Transfer Pathway)
Religion and Philosophy Majors Philosophy (Emphasis: Business), Religion Minors Faith and Vocation, Philosophy, Religion
Social Science Majors Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology Minors Economics, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Survey Research
Interdisciplinary Studies Major Sustainability Minors African American Studies, Digital Humanities, Ethnic Studies, Great Books, Health Humanities, Intercultural Studies, Sustainability, Women and Gender Studies
More Than an Education Here students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.
A Vibrant Campus Pepperdine’s residential campus is home to approximately 3,500 undergraduate students from many cultural, socioeconomic, religious, ethnic, geographic, and rigorous academic backgrounds. More than 60 percent of students live on campus in fully furnished, suite-style residence halls centrally located to classes, the library, campus eateries, events, and student support resources. This close-knit community is the optimal setting for you to discover yourself and develop your talents.
A Place of Faith Christian values, firmly rooted in a Church of Christ heritage, are at the heart of Pepperdine’s transformative experience both inside and outside the classroom. Members of all faith traditions are welcome to explore their spiritual path here. The Chapel program creates gatherings for first- and second-year students to feel welcomed into the community and explore their faith through the themes of love, truth, goodness, and beauty. This required programming provides a model of vibrant faith practice for students as they become leaders in the world.
Additional ways to examine, challenge, and grow in your faith • An Affiliated Campus Ministry Program
• Service Projects
• Annual Worship Summit
• Spiritual Life Advisors in Residence Halls
• Chapel Program
• Student-Led Spiritual Life Programs
• Hub for Spiritual Life
• University Church of Christ
• Prayer and Worship Gatherings
• Waves Church
• Religion Courses
Service at Pepperdine Making a positive impact on communities and people in the Greater Los Angeles area, across the United States, and globally.
Step Forward Day Step Forward Day is a 30-year annual tradition that connects students, faculty, staff, and alumni around the world to service opportunities within their communities.
It’s All About Location Picture yourself living and studying in the relaxed coastal community of Malibu, California, just 30 miles away from the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles and its many professional and cultural offerings. Find Your Community
With more than 110 student clubs and organizations and over 1,000 on-campus events each year, opportunities to build lasting friendships and explore new interests abound.
41% Men 59% Women Activities and Traditions • Art Shows
• Reel Stories Film Festival
• Blue and Orange Madness
• Residence Hall House Cup Competition
• Coffeehouse Gatherings • Culture Festival and Club Fair • Dance in Flight
• Spring Concert • Step Forward Day • Theatre Performances
• Global Learning Week
• Waves Weekend
• Greek Life
• Winter Wonderland
• President’s Reception
AYO Waves! Welcome to Waves Nation, where 17 men’s and women’s Division I athletic teams compete for victory and the Riptide Spirit Crew bleeds orange and blue! Men’s
Baseball Basketball Cross Country Golf Indoor Volleyball Tennis Track Water Polo
Women’s
Basketball Beach Volleyball Cross Country Golf Indoor Volleyball Soccer Swimming and Diving Tennis Track
ndividual national 12 ichampionships
Intramural Sports Basketball Flag Football Pickleball Soccer Volleyball
Club
Beach Volleyball Surfing Tennis
eam national 14 tchampionships
International Programs When you are a Pepperdine student, the world is at your fingertips. Study with Pepperdine faculty and fellow students in Pepperdine-owned facilities around the world. Approximately 95 percent of students participate in one of Pepperdine’s highly regarded international programs and cite it as one of the highlights of their time here.
Program Options Participate in a variety of semester, academic year, winter, summer, internship, and special-interest international programs.
6 Program Campuses BUENOS AIRES, Argentina CHÂTEAU D’HAUTEVILLE, Switzerland FLORENCE, Italy HEIDELBERG, Germany LONDON, United Kingdom WASHINGTON, DC
Building Careers Rigorous academic curricula, a liberal arts foundation, and an emphasis on leadership development prepare students for global careers, graduate studies, and competitive fellowships. With an average class size of just 18 students, undergraduates have unparalleled access to faculty mentorship and research opportunities. Students are also supported by the Career Center, which offers advising, resume writing help, job and internship fairs on campus, a Pepperdine-exclusive job search site, mock interviews, and more. After graduation, students enter a strong alumni network, which includes more than 25 organized chapters and over 147,000 alumni around the world. Recent Pepperdine grads have gone on to work for companies including: The Academy of Country Music, AEG, Amazon, Amgen, Boeing, Creative Artists Agency, Deloitte, Disney, DreamWorks Animation, Ernst & Young, ESPN, Fidelity Investments, Fox, Goldman Sachs, Google, Hughes Research Lab, International Justice Mission, Jumpstart, Kaiser Permanente, KPMG, Live Nation, Meta, Morgan Stanley, National Institutes of Health, NBC Universal, Oracle, Peace Corps, Sony, Teach for America, and many more!
90% of Pepperdine students participate in internships, student teaching, on- or off-campus employment, or undergraduate research.
91% of graduates have recognized professional outcomes within six months of graduating
(either employed, volunteering full time, serving in the military, or have been accepted to graduate school to further their education)
Within Your Reach To bring in a well-rounded class each year, the admission committee looks closely at each applicant’s academic record, GPA, standardized test scores (optional), background of service and leadership, and character as exhibited in recommendation letters and application essays.
Application Statistics
Dates and Deadlines
Number of Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,239 Enrolled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,175
Early Action and Early Decision Admission
Admit Averages | Mid-50%
First-Year GPA (unweighted). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.63–3.88 Transfer GPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.54–3.83 SAT Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1330–1420 ACT Composite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30–33 TOEFL IBT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101–106 (Based on fall 2025)
Pepperdine University’s AP and IB policies vary slightly from year to year and by subject. Typically, a score of 3 on AP exams or 5 on IB will count toward college credit at Pepperdine.
Admission Checklist ☐ Step 1: Submit your application
☐ Step 2: Submit additional required materials (e.g., recommendation and transcripts) ☐ Step 3: Monitor your application and to-do lists via the Pepperdine Application Portal
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the Office of Admission receives all required application materials by the appropriate admission deadline.
FALL TERM FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS Application deadline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 1 FAFSA priority deadline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 1 Decisions sent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 10 Financial Aid sent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 1 Cal Grant deadline (CA residents only) . . . . . . . . . March 2 Enrollment deadline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 1
Regular Decision Admission
FALL TERM FIRST-YEAR AND NURSING STUDENTS Application deadline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 15 FAFSA priority deadline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 15 Cal Grant deadline (CA residents only) . . . . . . . . . March 2 Decisions and Financial Aid sent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 1 Enrollment deadline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 1
Transfer Admission
FALL TERM TRANSFER STUDENTS Application deadline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 15 FAFSA priority deadline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 15 Cal Grant deadline (CA residents only) . . . . . . . . . March 2 Decisions and Financial Aid sent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 1 Enrollment deadline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 1
Pepperdine Is Possible Your education is an investment in yourself, your career, and your financial future that will last a lifetime. Although the University believes that families and students have the primary responsibility for meeting the cost of an education, the Office of Financial Assistance is dedicated to providing the tools and resources necessary to help bridge the gap between the cost of Pepperdine and the family’s contribution. For more information, visit: seaver.pepperdine.edu/financial-aid.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition (12–18 units). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $71,860 Housing and Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,480 Campus Life Fee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $252 Wellness Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $560 Total Direct Cost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $95,152 (Based on the 2025–26 academic year)
Types of Financial Assistance Merit Scholarships
All applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on their application materials, GPA, and course selection. Scholarship amounts vary and may be coordinated with need-based aid.
Grants
Grants are need-based awards funded by Pepperdine, the federal government, or state governments. For federal student aid information, visit: studentaid.gov. For information about the Cal Grant for California residents, visit: csac.ca.gov.
Departmental Scholarships
Fine arts and athletic scholarships may be available to students who participate in additional evaluation processes. For more information, visit seaver.pepperdine.edu/finearts or pepperdinewaves.com.
Church of Christ Scholarships
Applicants who are an active member of a Church of Christ congregation are eligible for additional scholarships and aid. For more information, please visit: seaver.pepperdine.edu/admission/coc
Work-Study
Pepperdine offers federal work-study to students who qualify based on financial need and fund availability. This program allows students to work in a variety of part-time capacities—often in fields related to their studies and goals—by applying to positions through the Student Employment Office.
Federal Education Loans
Federal education loans may be awarded to students and parents who qualify. Student loans have to be repaid, typically with interest, but some forgiveness programs exist. For more information, visit: studentloans.gov
Your Eligibility Pepperdine need-based and federal aid is based on students’ financial need, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Financial need is the difference between the estimated cost of attendance for the academic year and the estimated family contribution. Institutional grant assistance is evaluated during a student’s first year at Pepperdine and remains the same as long as they maintain satisfactory academic progress and meet the financial assistance terms and conditions, for a maximum of eight semesters, not including summer sessions.
Scan the QR to estimate your financial assistance award by using the Net Price Calculator
76% of Pepperdine students graduate in four years approximately 27% higher than the national average.
94% of undergraduate students received some form of financial assistance during the 2024–25 academic year.
Pepperdine contributed approximately $119 million in University-funded grants and scholarships for undergraduate students during the 2024–25 academic year.
The Pepperdine Impact A degree from Pepperdine is highly valued and respected in the competitive global marketplace. Choosing to enroll at Pepperdine not only launches a personally, academically, and spiritually transformative journey, but also provides a practical foundation that is rooted in ethical decision-making, real-world application, and a supportive community.
U.S. News & World Report rankings
#80 National Universities #74 Best Value #45 Best Undergraduate Teaching #11 Study Abroad Programs
Next Steps
VISIT CAMPUS
FIND YOUR ADMISSION COUNSELOR
APPLY NOW
Pepperdine University 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90263 310.506.4392 | +1 310.506.4246 (international) admission@pepperdine.edu | pepperdine.edu/admission
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Undergraduate Admission