by our College Data Analytics TeamWant the scoop on Pepperdine University Graduate School? We’ve put together a comprehensive report on the school that covers what degree programs Pepperdine offers, if the school is ranked, how diverse it is, and much more. Use the following list to jump to the section on the page with details on that topic.
Each year, College Factual releases its Best Quality Schools ranking to identify graduate schools that offer a great educational experience and provide excellent student outcomes.Factors that go into these rankings include how much money students make after graduation, the number of FTE students per instructor, and how much debt students take on to attend the school.
Pepperdine University landed the #90 spot in College Factual’s 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking out of a pool of 4,630 colleges and universities that were eligible for this year’s ranking.This rank is quite an honor since it puts the school in the Top 5% of the country for overall quality.Pepperdine received this year’s Best Master’s Schools badge for its high ranking.For the Best Master’s Degree Schools in California, Pepperdine came in at #20.
There were 4,630 college and universities analyzed in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking, and Pepperdine took the #90 spot on the list.This means that the school is among the Top 10% of the nation when it comes to overall quality.Pepperdine was awarded this year’s Best Doctorate Schools badge for this accomplishment.In addition, Pepperdine took the #20 spot for Best Doctorate Degree Schools in California.
### Best Graduate Schools RankingIn College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, Pepperdine took the #90 spot out of 4,630 schools. In addition, Pepperdine took the #20 spot for Best Graduate Schools in California.
Pepperdine University was the school of choice for 5,423 graduate students in the last year for which we have data.College Factual looked at the demographics of these students to determine how diverse the population is.Keep reading to learn more.
Athough the male-female ratio may vary depending on the degree program, 71.5% of the total graduate students at Pepperdine are women and 28.5% are men.
Racial-ethnic minorities* make up 49.6% of the graduate student population at Pepperdine.The school attracts students from outside the U.S., too. Around 6.3% of graduate students hail from another country.For more details on graduate school diversity at the school, check out the chart below. If you click on it, you’ll be taken to a page with more details.
The average tuition and fees for graduate students is shown below.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $69,950 | $69,950 |
| Fees | $606 | $606 |
The typical graduate student at Pepperdine who borrowed carries a median debt of $23,851.
Master’s degree recipients from Pepperdine earn an average early-career salary of $106,183.
Graduate students who earn their doctoral degree at Pepperdine enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $123,756.
Early-career pay varies by field of study. The following table shows the graduate fields of study at Pepperdine with the highest average early-career salaries for recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | $142,013 |
| Law | $125,875 |
| Human Resource Management | $113,702 |
| Educational Administration | $106,678 |
| Public Policy | $90,495 |
| Education, General. | $77,384 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | $75,551 |
| Instructional Media Design | $74,008 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | $71,444 |
| General Psychology | $68,070 |
Located in Malibu, California, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution.The suburban atmosphere of Malibu makes it a great place for students who want the amenities of city life without actually living in the middle of a constant hustle and bustle. Get more details about the location of Pepperdine University.
Contact details for Pepperdine are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90263 |
| Phone: | 310-506-4000 |
| Website: | www.pepperdine.edu/ |
61.5% of the graduate students at Pepperdine took at least one online course.Roughly 44.3% of all grad students took courses exclusively online.
The only degree programs listed here are those in which master’s degrees were awarded.
| Masters Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 26 | — |
| Area Studies | 4 | — |
| Business Administration & Management | 487 | $142,013 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 858 | $70,962 |
| Dispute Resolution | 111 | — |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 7 | — |
| Educational Administration | 46 | $71,248 |
| Educational Assessment | 1 | — |
| General Psychology | 198 | $68,070 |
| Human Resource Management | 62 | — |
| International Business | 51 | — |
| Legal Research | 94 | — |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 108 | — |
| Public Policy | 27 | $90,495 |
| Real Estate | 13 | — |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 53 | $71,444 |
| Teaching English or French | 9 | — |
| Theological & Ministerial Studies | 3 | — |
Just like the master’s programs above, the doctorate programs shown here are only those in which doctorate degrees were awarded.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration & Management | 10 | — |
| Educational Administration | 75 | $119,380 |
| Instructional Media Design | 9 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Pepperdine University awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition Science | 4 | — |
Only the programs in which a professional degree was awarded are shown here.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 26 | — |
| Law | 197 | — |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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