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Pepperdine acceptance rate
Pepperdine University · Malibu, California · Private nonprofit · 3,553 undergraduates
Pepperdine expanded its offers faster than its applicant pool grew, so the rate climbed 27 points between 2014 and 2024, to 63%. Pepperdine admitted a larger share in fall 2024 than in any year since 2001: 63% of 11,526 applicants. Most admitted students go elsewhere. Only 12% of those offered a place enrolled in fall 2024 (843 of 7,245).
Acceptance rate since 2001
Show the numbers by year
| Fall | Applied | Admitted | Rate | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11,526 | 7,245 | 62.9% | 843 |
| 2023 | 12,457 | 6,210 | 49.9% | 732 |
| 2022 | 11,466 | 5,585 | 48.7% | 942 |
| 2021 | 11,855 | 6,249 | 52.7% | 1,024 |
| 2020 | 11,634 | 4,925 | 42.3% | 733 |
| 2019 | 12,764 | 4,049 | 31.7% | 726 |
| 2018 | 11,265 | 4,016 | 35.7% | 803 |
| 2017 | 11,704 | 4,664 | 39.8% | 862 |
| 2016 | 11,111 | 4,097 | 36.9% | 743 |
| 2015 | 9,923 | 3,781 | 38.1% | 745 |
| 2014 | 8,914 | 3,161 | 35.5% | 657 |
| 2013 | 9,721 | 3,630 | 37.3% | 784 |
| 2012 | 8,567 | 3,294 | 38.4% | 777 |
| 2011 | 9,384 | 2,962 | 31.6% | 676 |
| 2010 | 7,949 | 2,436 | 30.6% | 628 |
| 2009 | 6,910 | 2,378 | 34.4% | 782 |
| 2008 | 6,661 | 2,315 | 34.8% | 752 |
| 2007 | 6,661 | 2,315 | 34.8% | 752 |
| 2006 | 6,966 | 2,098 | 30.1% | 704 |
| 2005 | 7,307 | 2,077 | 28.4% | 762 |
| 2004 | 6,447 | 1,756 | 27.2% | 727 |
| 2003 | 6,219 | 1,555 | 25.0% | 615 |
| 2002 | 5,503 | 2,037 | 37.0% | 802 |
| 2001 | 6,147 | 1,691 | 27.5% | 607 |
Applications and offers
Acceptance rate for women and men
| Fall 2024 | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 7,325 | 4,528 | 61.8% |
| Men | 4,197 | 2,716 | 64.7% |
SAT, ACT and test policy
- Test scores in admission
- Considered if submitted (test-optional)
- SAT reading and writing
- 650 to 710 (middle 50% of enrolled students)
- SAT math
- 640 to 740
- ACT composite
- 29 to 32
Colleges similar to Pepperdine
The six private nonprofit four-year colleges closest to Pepperdine in acceptance rate and undergraduate enrollment.
| College | Acceptance rate | Avg net price | Earnings after 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| The New School New York, NY | 63% | $48,163 | $64,471 |
| Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA | 64% | $38,626 | $46,867 |
| Yeshiva University New York, NY | 56% | $49,210 | $77,098 |
| Chapman Orange, CA | 65% | $46,708 | $80,694 |
| Pratt Institute, Main Brooklyn, NY | 73% | $48,876 | $63,115 |
| Bryant Smithfield, RI | 65% | $39,186 | $104,456 |
Admissions counts are first-time, first-year applicants reported by Pepperdine to IPEDS for each fall term (2001 to 2024), read from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Test score ranges and policy come from the College Scorecard. College Scorecard data updated November 2, 2026. How these figures are built · Pepperdine on College Scorecard