Calvin University vs Pepperdine

Calvin University and Pepperdine University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences shaped by their unique identities and locations. Calvin, rooted in a Christian Reformed tradition, is nestled in the vibrant city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, while Pepperdine, inspired by its Christian heritage, thrives in the scenic coastal town of Malibu, California. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and spiritual growth, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations, personal values, and desired campus environment.

	Calvin University	Pepperdine University
Overview
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan	Malibu, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	93.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Churches of Christ

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	52.7%
Application fees	$35	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1120 - 1340	1260 - 1440
ACT range	24 - 30	25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	61.0%	19.0%
Students submitting ACT score	24.0%	3.0%
Total number of applicants	3,986	11,855
Total number of admissions given out	2,992	6,249
Admitted students who chose to enroll	736	1,024
Yield rate	24.6%	16.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$52,840	$80,152
Average net price	$27,120	$40,945
Tuition	$37,990	$59,450
Room & board	$10,800	$16,700
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $24,410	96.0% Average amount $36,967
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,987	38.0% Average amount $5,171
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,620	9.0% Average amount $12,899

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,068 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	3,708 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	189 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	6,738 Men 30.2% Women 69.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	46.9%
International students	11.7%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,453	2,579
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Texas Washington Colorado Arizona

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Theology	Business Psychology Legal Profession Education Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.3%	83.0%
Dropout rate	7.6%	16.6%
Transferred out	14.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,594 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $73,154 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,088 Year 2: $65,188 Year 3: $71,772 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,940 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $62,400 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,498 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $60,645 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,593 Year 2: $45,980 Year 3: $53,866 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,275 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $51,938 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,034 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $44,640 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,528 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,008 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,756 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,976 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,469 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,953	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,699 Year 2: $92,733 Year 3: $106,087 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $64,518 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $93,293 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,829 Year 2: $96,691 Year 3: $91,701 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $66,898 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $90,146 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,350 Year 2: $62,508 Year 3: $75,589 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,825 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $71,546 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,559 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $70,082 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,228 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $65,821 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,799 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $58,854 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,780 Year 2: $46,156 Year 3: $56,663

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Calvin University vs Pepperdine

Calvin University

Pepperdine University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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