Pepperdine vs La Sierra University

Pepperdine University and La Sierra University, two distinct institutions with unique offerings, stand side by side in this comprehensive comparison. Pepperdine, a private Christian university in Malibu, California, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate compared to La Sierra, a private Christian university in Riverside, California. While Pepperdine's student body is predominantly White, La Sierra's student body is more diverse, with a significant Hispanic population. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student-faculty ratios, and financial aid opportunities, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
La Sierra University logo

La Sierra University

Pepperdine University logo

Pepperdine University

Overview

Location Riverside, California Malibu, California
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 72.0% 93.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant Churches of Christ

Admission

Acceptance rate 66.1% 52.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 880 - 1140 1260 - 1440
ACT range 18 - 28 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 25.0% 19.0%
Students submitting ACT score 2.0% 3.0%
Total number of applicants 2,726 11,855
Total number of admissions given out 1,801 6,249
Admitted students who chose to enroll 287 1,024
Yield rate 15.9% 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 $59,289 $80,152
Average net price $25,230 $40,945
Tuition $33,228 $59,450
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,740

Meal plan: $4,050
$16,700
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $20,812
96.0%
Average amount $36,967
Students receiving federal student loan 59.0%
Average amount $4,980
38.0%
Average amount $5,171
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $22,020
9.0%
Average amount $12,899

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,351
Men 41.2% Women 58.8%
3,708
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students 387
Men 33.1% Women 66.9%
6,738
Men 30.2% Women 69.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 46.9%
International students 14.1% 8.3%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 850 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
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 44.9% 83.0%
Dropout rate 20.1% 16.6%
Transferred out 34.7% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,771
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $56,649
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,359
  • Year 2: $26,933
  • Year 3: $41,100
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,044
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,215
  • Year 2: $16,478
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,179
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: N/A
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,431
  • Year 2: $29,751
  • Year 3: N/A
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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