University of Southern California (USC) vs Pepperdine

Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, the University of Southern California (USC) and Pepperdine University, located in the scenic Malibu, stand as two prominent institutions of higher learning in California. While both universities offer a vibrant campus life and a wide range of academic programs, they differ in several key aspects. USC boasts a significantly larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Pepperdine. In terms of academic offerings, USC excels in STEM fields, while Pepperdine is known for its strengths in the liberal arts and business. Furthermore, the student demographics at each university vary, with USC having a more diverse student body. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Pepperdine University	University of Southern California
Overview
Location	Malibu, California	Los Angeles, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate	93.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ

Admission
Acceptance rate	52.7%	12.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $90
SAT range	1260 - 1440	1410 - 1540
ACT range	25 - 30	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	19.0%	31.0%
Students submitting ACT score	3.0%	19.0%
Total number of applicants	11,855	71,031
Total number of admissions given out	6,249	8,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,024	3,668
Yield rate	16.4%	41.3%
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	$81,659
Average net price	$40,945	$26,021
Tuition	$59,450	$60,446
Room & board	$16,700	Room/dormitory: $10,098 Meal plan: $6,634
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	96.0% Average amount $36,967	72.0% Average amount $40,690
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $5,171	22.0% Average amount $4,215
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,899	2.0% Average amount $29,056

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,708 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	20,790 Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Graduate students	6,738 Men 30.2% Women 69.8%	28,528 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	46.9%	49.9%
International students	8.3%	23.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,579	8,700
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 Texas New York Illinois Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Psychology Legal Profession Education Multidisciplinary Studies	Business Health Professions Engineering Computer and Information Science Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	9:1
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%	92.0%
Dropout rate	16.6%	7.2%
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	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $104,166 Year 2: $187,234 Year 3: $221,418 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $167,228 Year 2: $163,225 Year 3: $161,094 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $106,344 Year 2: $126,683 Year 3: $148,434 Marketing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $113,473 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $147,381 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,796 Year 2: $116,083 Year 3: $146,357 Legal Professions and Studies, Other (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $79,420 Year 2: $88,198 Year 3: $140,330 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $127,841 Year 2: $131,090 Year 3: $140,129 Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $135,775 Year 2: $135,393 Year 3: $136,848 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $121,676 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $134,632 Real Estate Development (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $119,991 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $125,784

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University of Southern California (USC) vs Pepperdine

Pepperdine University

University of Southern California

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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