Pepperdine vs Samford

Pepperdine University and Samford University, both esteemed private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Pepperdine, located in Malibu, California, boasts a picturesque coastal setting, while Samford, nestled in Birmingham, Alabama, exudes a vibrant urban charm. With acceptance rates of 34% and 79%, respectively, these universities cater to different levels of selectivity. Pepperdine's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 10% of the population, compared to Samford's 3%. While both universities offer a range of popular majors, Pepperdine excels in business, communication, and psychology, while Samford shines in nursing, education, and business. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions, including graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Pepperdine University	Samford University
Overview
Location	Malibu, California	Birmingham, Alabama
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	93.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	52.7%	83.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1260 - 1440	1100 - 1290
ACT range	25 - 30	23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	19.0%	22.0%
Students submitting ACT score	3.0%	66.0%
Total number of applicants	11,855	4,217
Total number of admissions given out	6,249	3,537
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,024	920
Yield rate	16.4%	26.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,152	$53,100
Average net price	$40,945	$31,871
Tuition	$59,450	$34,410
Room & board	$16,700	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	96.0% Average amount $36,967	99.0% Average amount $19,443
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,171	31.0% Average amount $5,320
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,899	6.0% Average amount $19,317

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,708 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	3,607 Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
Graduate students	6,738 Men 30.2% Women 69.8%	2,151 Men 32.3% Women 67.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	46.9%	73.0%
International students	8.3%	0.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,579	2,375
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas Washington Colorado Arizona	Alabama Georgia Tennessee Texas Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Psychology Legal Profession Education Multidisciplinary Studies	Health Professions Legal Profession Business Education Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	83.0%	78.9%
Dropout rate	16.6%	20.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $109,542 Year 2: $120,880 Year 3: $122,995 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,811 Year 2: $99,380 Year 3: $104,909 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $86,528 Year 2: $91,363 Year 3: $88,884 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,304 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $67,171 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,217 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $64,364 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $47,785 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,547 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,967 Year 2: $54,851 Year 3: $57,875 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,355 Year 2: $54,948 Year 3: $54,480 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,947 Year 2: $39,585 Year 3: $46,442 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,337 Year 2: $43,638 Year 3: $46,369

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Pepperdine vs Samford

Pepperdine University

Samford University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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