How to Get Into Pepperdine University: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

July 30, 2025

Pepperdine University is a rare institution that is ranked by U.S. News as a top 100 school while also having an acceptance rate of just under 63% last year. This private Christian university, located in gorgeous Malibu, is home to 3,500 undergraduate students. If you’re dreaming of joining them in the fall of 2026, this is the blog for you. We’ll look at the Pepperdine acceptance rate and the other facets of the admissions process.

The intent of this article is to give those considering applying to Pepperdine University an understanding of the following topics:

Pepperdine’s acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
SAT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Pepperdine University applicants
Admissions trends
Pepperdine University’s system for rating applicants
A look at the demographics of current Pepperdine University undergraduates
The percent of accepted students that attend Pepperdine University (yield rate)
Tips for applying to Pepperdine University
How to assess whether applying to Pepperdine University is even worth the $65 application fee (for you)

Pepperdine University Admissions Calculator

Want to calculate your chance of getting into Pepperdine?

��һ��ӰԺ�ݲ� is pleased to offer the most accurate admissions calculator you’ll find anywhere online — the only such tool that is informed by decades of combined experience personally guiding thousands of students through the college admissions process. Please click below to enjoy all the benefits.

��һ��ӰԺ�ݲ� Admissions Calculator

Our college chance calculator is the most personalized tool on the market. Use it to build a balanced and intelligent college list. To get started, simply input your stats to explore your chances at 170+ colleges!

Pepperdine University Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2028, Pepperdine received 11,526 applications. Of these hopefuls, 7,245 were accepted. This gives Pepperdine an overall acceptance rate of almost 63%, which is 13% higher than the previous year.

Historical Pepperdine acceptance rates are as follows:

	Applicants	Admits	Acceptance Rate
Class of 2027	12,457	6,210	50%
Class of 2026	11,466	5,585	49%
Class of 2025	11,855	6,249	53%
Class of 2024	11,634	4,925	42%

What GPA do you need to get into Pepperdine?

The average GPA for enrolled 2024-25 freshmen was 3.61. Moreover, just 38% had a GPA of 3.75 or greater.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Pepperdine?

As class rank is not considered at Pepperdine, this data is not provided.

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Pepperdine?

Pepperdine is test-optional. Accordingly, only about a quarter of enrolled Class of 2028 students submitted scores. However, among the Class of 2028 members who did submit, the mid-50% SAT range was 1300-1440, and the ACT range was 29-32.

Admissions Trends & Notes

Applications to Pepperdine decreased 7% since last year.
Pepperdine’s admit rate for the class of 2028 was a surprising 63%, much higher than previous admission cycles.
Pepperdine’s yield rate has been steadily dropping over the past several years, which could be a contributing factor to a higher acceptance rate.
Approximately 18% of students are the first in their family to attend college.

How Pepperdine University Rates Applicants

Pepperdine University considers seven factors as “very important” to the admissions process. These are: rigor of high school course load, GPA, essays, extracurricular activities, character/personal qualities, talent ability, and religious affiliation.

Straight from the admissions office: “The admission committee looks closely at an applicant’s academic record, GPA, standardized test scores, background of service and leadership, and character as exhibited in references and short answer/personal statements.”

Lastly, for advice about how to stand out on the extracurricular front, check out our previous blog entitled How Many Extracurricular Activities Do I Need for College?

Who Actually Gets Into Pepperdine?

Let’s now take a look at the demographics of the undergraduate student body.

Historically, the states that send the highest number of students to Pepperdine are:

California
Texas
Washington
Colorado
Arizona

In recent classes, the greatest number of international students came from the following countries:

China
Canada
India
Indonesia
Korea

In terms of ethnic identity, the breakdown is as follows for the Class of 2028:

White: 39.5%
Asian: 13.6%
Hispanic: 21.5%
African American: 4%
Two or More Races: 6.5%
International: 9%

The religious breakdown of a recent class was as follows:

Christian: 62%
Catholic: 20%
Church of Christ: 9%
Jewish: 1%
None: 8%

A look at the gender split reveals that the university enrolls more women than men.

Men: 42%
Women: 58%

Pepperdine Yield Rate

The University’s yield rate is under 12%. In other words, less than 12% of those accepted went on to enroll. This figure is significantly lower than many other highly ranked schools.

Tips for Applying to Pepperdine University

If you plan on joining the 11,000+ Pepperdine University hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

Firstly, consider applying early action by November 1. Pepperdine does not offer early decision.
Pepperdine will remain test-optional for the 2025-26 cycle.
Pepperdine University does use virtual, on-campus, and regional as part of its evaluation process.
Additionally, the school does not consider “demonstrated interest,” so you will not be judged on whether or not you made a campus visit, contacted an admissions officer, etc. However, given Pepperdine’s low yield rate, none of these measures can hurt.
Lastly, make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the lone supplemental essay required by Pepperdine University. The prompt for 2025-26 is as follows:

Pepperdine is a Christian university where all are welcomed and encouraged to challenge each other in the pursuit of truth. Students, faculty, and staff members from all backgrounds participate in conversations of faith inside and outside of the classroom. Considering that Pepperdine is a Christian university, why are you interested in attending and how would you contribute to conversations of faith on campus? (500 words max)

Should I Apply to Pepperdine University?

Those who are in the top quartile of their respective high school class are absolutely viable candidates for this excellent institution. Moreover, applying test-optional can be an excellent route to admission for any student whose scores fall outside the bottom 25th percentile.

Pepperdine Acceptance Rate — Final Thoughts

Of course, it goes without saying that all teens applying to a school of Pepperdine University’s caliber also need to have a proper mix of “target” and “safety” schools on their college list. More on creating a balanced college list can be found here.

Ready to start building your college applications? Consider checking out the following:

bookmark

College Admissions

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

������һ����ӰԺ�ݲ�