What is pepperdine University Known For?
Established in 1937, pepperdine university is a private Christian institution of higher education. The university’s campus encompasses 830 acres in picturesque Malibu, CA, nestled among the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains.
pepperdine main installations in Malibu is home to Seaver College, its undergraduate school. As of Fall 2020, Pepperdine has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,459 students.
The university is made up of five separate graduate and undergraduate schoolsand most graduate programs are offered at additional campuses located in the Southern California area.
Located on the Pepperdine campus in Malibu is the highly esteemed Caruso College of Law and Public Policy. Additionally, two of Pepperdine’s other schools, Graziadio Business School and the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, house some of their programs on this campus.
Since the university’s founding, Pepperdine has maintained a strong commitment to upholding the values and traditions associated with the New Testament Churches of Christ.
In fact, Pepperdine requires its students to attend no fewer than 14 religious events each semester and take a minimum of three religion-related courses before graduating from school.
You’ve probably heard of Pepperdine University, but perhaps you’d like to know more about why the school has earned its strong and enduring reputation as a widely recognized and distinguished institution of higher learning.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most essential information you need to know about Pepperdine’s reputation, including its best-known academic programs, strong sports teams, top clubs it offers, and much more.
What majors and academic studies is Pepperdine known for?

Across its five constituent graduate and undergraduate schools, Pepperdine University offers 82 degree programs. School students can choose between 46 major and 47 minor degrees in the areas of business and liberal arts.
At Pepperdine, more students are choosing to pursue a bachelor of science degree in business Administration greater than in any other undergraduate program.
According to the university, an impressive 76% of Pepperdine business graduates are employed full or part time. An additional 16% are enrolled in a graduate program, leaving only 8% of this group of students unaccounted for.
Part of what makes Pepperdine’s business program unique is that the school emphasizes the importance of having a strong liberal arts background, in addition to substantial training in business-related skills such as accounting, marketing, management, and finance. .
In addition to that, Pepperdine business administration students in the areas of business, international business, and accounting are required to take the Servant Leadership Project Course.
Combining community service and academic study, the Project helps students develop leadership and service skills through consultative team building.
These teams are intended to provide support to non-profit organizations through the application of business theory to student-led collaborative service projects.
Pepperdine is also known for its International Studies Major Program, an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts that combines political science, intercultural studies, and language skills. Students in this major may choose to major in Global Politics or Regional Studies.
Is Pepperdine a good school?
According to the most recent edition In US News and World Report’s annual university rankings, Pepperdine University is ranked 49th among all universities in the country. Therefore, it is safe to say that Pepperdine is an outstanding school.
The school was also ranked #12 in the United States in terms of best study abroad programs offered by universities.
This ranking was determined by analyzing the quality and intensity of the academic load taught and the level of interaction between the student and the culture throughout the program.
Another area in which Pepperdine excels is its highly knowledgeable and capable faculty. In 2022, the university was named #13 best school in the country in terms of undergraduate teaching.
Further evidence of Pepperdine’s status as a stellar school is its relatively high admissions standards.
With an acceptance rate of 42%, Pepperdine’s admissions process can be considered moderately selective, inviting only high-achieving students to become a part of the campus community.
For example, the middle 50% of students who were accepted into the Pepperdine University freshman class of 2021 had a high school GPA between 3.69 and 3.96.
This means that the average Pepperdine freshman earned almost every As in every high school class.
pepper traditions
Since its founding, Pepperdine University has come to establish a number of traditions that students look forward to each year.
One of them is Waves Weekend, a three-day event open to students, family, friends, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Taking place every fall, wave weekend It doubles as both a homecoming celebration and family weekend, with festivities including carnival games, food trucks, homecoming events, a lip-syncing competition, and much more.
The annual celebration culminates in a concert at Alumni Park on Saturday night.
In addition to the excitement of the cherished Waves Weekend, there is blue and orange madnessnamed for the spirit colors of the school.
During Blue and Orange Madness, Pepperdine athletes usher in the school’s men’s and women’s basketball season by meeting at Firestone Fieldhouse.
In addition to allowing players to meet each other, the event also includes opportunities to compete for prizes.
The most contentious event during Blue and Orange Madness is undoubtedly the half-court competition for a year of free tuition. Each participant in this contest has 30 seconds to take as many half court shots as he can, and the person who scores the most points wins the scholarship.
The oldest student tradition at Pepperdine is Songfest. Dating back to the 1970s, Songfest is a musical variety show that students present each March.
At this event, groups of students are tasked with writing, producing, and performing an original 12-minute musical that will be judged by a panel of industry professionals and community members. The group that receives the highest total score takes home the coveted Songfest Sweepstakes Award.
Featured Clubs and Extracurricular Activities at Pepperdine
Pepperdine students can choose from more than 70 student clubs and organizations offers the school.
A prominent type of student group at Pepperdine is greek life. The school is home to eight sororities and five fraternities, and about a quarter of undergraduate students participate in one of these organizations during the course of their time at Pepperdine.
Because of Pepperdine’s strong Christian affiliation, the school also has several student-led ministry groups. Students in these groups create and develop ministries as a means to nurture Christian faith and values within the student body.
Pepperdine’s featured clubs also include a number of club sports teams, such as women’s lacrosse, men’s rugby, and esports. Students who want to make the most of the university’s sunny coastal location will be pleased to know that surfing and beach volleyball are also on offer.
What sports are pepperdines known for?
Pepperdine University is home to 17 varsity sports teams, known as the pepper waves. Most of the school’s sports teams are members of the NCAA West Coast Conference and compete at the Division I level.
One of Pepperdine’s strongest athletic programs is the women’s tennis team, which College Factual has ranked #5 among the 21 teams in their division. In addition to its fiercely competitive tennis team, Pepperdine is also home to an all-star women’s soccer team.
The college has been named the #13 best college for Division I women’s soccer in 3 of the 306 programs included in the ranking. This places the Waves within the top 5% of women’s soccer teams in the country.
Pepperdine is also known for its basketball team. In the sport, Pepperdine has earned 12 regular-season conference championship titles and three tournament victories. Over 68 seasons, the Pepperdine Basketball Waves have appeared in a total of 13 NCAA tournaments.
Why Pepperdine?
There are many reasons students choose Pepperdine University, from its phenomenal academic program offerings to its vital athletic programs, its Christian values, its excellent reputation, and more.
With respect to LocationIt’s hard to find a more awesome place to attend college than Malibu, CA. In fact, according to ExpediaPepperdine’s is ranked in the top 15 most beautiful college campuses around.
Located right on the coast, the school’s campus overlooks the vast Pacific Ocean, giving students the opportunity to travel just a few minutes down Pacific Coast Highway to relax on the beach between classes.
Beyond all the benefits of attending school by the sea, Pepperdine also offers students small group classes and ample opportunities to receive individual attention and support from the school’s highly esteemed instructors.
To be precise, the student-teacher ratio at Pepperdine is 13:1 and there are 20 or fewer students in more than 65% of classes.
Therefore, for students who prefer to have classes in a more intimate and close-knit academic environment, Pepperdine is an excellent college choice.
Another reason to choose Pepperdine is that the school has proven effective in giving students the support they need to graduate on time.
The four-year graduation rate at the school is 80%, which means that the vast majority of students are able to earn a degree in the expected time.
Considering all of the above, Pepperdine is truly a fantastic university to choose.