Pepperdine vs Westmont College

Pepperdine University and Westmont College, both esteemed private institutions in California, offer distinct educational experiences. Pepperdine, located in Malibu, boasts a higher acceptance rate (44%) compared to Westmont's selective 36%. Pepperdine's larger student body reflects its diverse demographics, while Westmont's smaller size fosters a close-knit community. In terms of academics, Pepperdine excels in business, communication, and psychology, while Westmont shines in liberal arts, sciences, and pre-professional programs. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Pepperdine at 86% and Westmont at 84%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Pepperdine University	Westmont College
Overview
Location	Malibu, California	Santa Barbara, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	93.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ

Admission
Acceptance rate	52.7%	79.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1260 - 1440	1160 - 1460
ACT range	25 - 30	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	19.0%	18.0%
Students submitting ACT score	3.0%	12.0%
Total number of applicants	11,855	2,344
Total number of admissions given out	6,249	1,851
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,024	333
Yield rate	16.4%	18.0%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,152	$61,110
Average net price	$40,945	$33,554
Tuition	$59,450	$47,450
Room & board	$16,700	Room/dormitory: $9,400 Meal plan: $5,970
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 $32,308
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,171	50.0% Average amount $5,052
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,899	25.0% Average amount $4,810

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,708 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	1,238 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Graduate students	6,738 Men 30.2% Women 69.8%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	46.9%	31.1%
International students	8.3%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,579	1,207
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	California Washington Oregon Colorado Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Psychology Legal Profession Education Multidisciplinary Studies	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Physical Science Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	10:1
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	83.0%	73.4%
Dropout rate	16.6%	26.6%
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	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,792 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $66,978 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,638 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $40,054 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,114 Year 2: $24,808 Year 3: $34,035 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,823 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,883 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,121 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,369 Year 2: $25,596 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A

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