Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University is a private school founded in 1937. The total undergraduate enrollment is 3,629 (Fall 2023) on an 830-acre campus. The university operates on a semester-based academic calendar. Pepperdine is ranked 80th in the nation in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges. Tuition and fees are $69,918.

Pepperdine University, located in Malibu, California, is a Christian university situated in the picturesque foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. The school embraces the New Testament-based traditions of the Christian church. Students are required to participate in 14 spiritual activities and take at least three religion courses each semester while attending Pepperdine. Pepperdine has a Christian church on campus, as well as several student-led ministries. Outside of the church, the school's athletic team, the Pepperdine Waves, competes in the Division I West Coast Conference. Students can also participate in club sports such as lacrosse, tennis, and surfing, as well as a variety of intramural sports ranging from flag football to volleyball. Freshmen and sophomores are required to live in the University Residence Halls on Dry Campus, and Student Spiritual Life leaders live in each residence hall building. About one-third of the student body is active in more than a dozen sororities and fraternities, but there are no formal Greek dormitories on campus.

In addition to its main campus in Malibu, Pepperdine University offers graduate programs at its West Los Angeles, Irvine, Encino and San Jose campuses. Pepperdine's Malibu campus is 24 miles from Beverly Hills and 54 miles from Disneyland. It is about an hour's drive from Los Angeles. 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 other Notable Alumni.