Pepperdine vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Pepperdine University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life. Pepperdine, a private Christian university nestled in the scenic hills of Malibu, California, boasts a strong liberal arts foundation and a focus on faith-based learning. MIT, a world-renowned research university located in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is celebrated for its exceptional programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While both institutions share a commitment to academic rigor and student success, they differ significantly in terms of 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 and personal preferences.

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Pepperdine University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	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	99.0%	93.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Churches of Christ

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.1%	52.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	1260 - 1440
ACT range	N/A	25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score		19.0%
Students submitting ACT score		3.0%
Total number of applicants	33,240	11,855
Total number of admissions given out	1,365	6,249
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,177	1,024
Yield rate	86.2%	16.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$58,920	$80,152
Average net price	$30,958	$40,945
Tuition	$55,510	$59,450
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,550 Meal plan: $6,550	$16,700
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $32,562	96.0% Average amount $36,967
Students receiving federal student loan	6.0% Average amount $5,112	38.0% Average amount $5,171
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $17,891	9.0% Average amount $12,899

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,638 Men 51.9% Women 48.1%	3,708 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	7,296 Men 62.0% Women 38.0%	6,738 Men 30.2% Women 69.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	46.9%
International students	29.2%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,280	2,579
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas New York Florida New Jersey	California Texas Washington Colorado Arizona

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Business Computer and Information Science Architecture Mathematics and Statistics	Business Psychology Legal Profession Education Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.2%	83.0%
Dropout rate	3.0%	16.6%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $144,716 Year 2: $150,045 Year 3: $183,153 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $170,089 Year 2: $165,236 Year 3: $182,183 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $118,191 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $163,496 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $82,796 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $155,540 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $133,685 Year 2: $137,214 Year 3: $155,079 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $104,229 Year 2: $121,226 Year 3: $139,548 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $141,603 Year 2: $126,504 Year 3: $132,987 Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $112,885 Year 3: $124,425 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $135,266 Year 2: $111,435 Year 3: $112,404 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,955 Year 2: $104,749 Year 3: $109,672	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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