Pepperdine University campus

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Pepperdine Ratings and Reviews

  • 8/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Malibu, CA
  • 3.8 4 reviews
#14 Best Private Colleges in California
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Pepperdine Ratings and Reviews

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Ratings

Pepperdine is rated within the top 27% of four-year colleges nationally and earns a CollegeSimply grade of 8 out of 10.

  • Overall Rating
    8 out of 10
  • Academics
    9 out of 10
  • Resources
    6 out of 10
  • Outcomes
    8 out of 10
  • Value
    1 out of 10
Learn how ratings are calculated

Student Review Summary

3.8

Approved reviews

4 student reviews

2 out of 4 (50%) reviewers rated 4 stars or higher

Students rate Campus Safety highest and Party and Bar Scene lowest.

Rating snapshot

  • 5 stars
    2
  • 4 stars
    0
  • 3 stars
    1
  • 2 stars
    1
  • 1 star
    0

Average by category

  • Overall Rating
    3.8
  • Academics
    4.5
  • Value for Money
    3.8
  • Professors / Faculty
    4.5
  • Campus Atmosphere
    4.0
  • Housing
    3.2
  • Campus Safety
    4.8
  • Student Life
    3.2
  • Party and Bar Scene
    2.8

Student and Parent Reviews

If you are a student, former student, faculty member or parent, please help guide other prospective students by sharing your personal experiences at this college. What is it really like to go to Pepperdine University?

Apr 16, 2026
Rating 2 out of 5

Greek life and social life is terrible, I'm transferring to USC but there are some phenomenal connections and networking at this school

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene
Apr 6, 2022
Rating 5 out of 5

Pepperdine has a pretty strong disregard for any marginalized populations - so if you happen to fit into any of these categories, this may not be the best school for you. On the other hand, if you're straight, white, able-bodied, and Christian, you'll probably love this place. Their abroad programs are by far the best part of the school. I studied in Buenos Aires and the experience there was vastly different from the Malibu campus. If you're interested in having a super unique study abroad, Pepperdine can definitely check those boxes. Professors tend to be opinionated and sometimes bigoted, but can also be really helpful and genuine people. From my understanding, this has a lot to do with what department you are in. There isn't exactly a lot to do in Malibu. Living by the beach is awesome when you have time to go, but there is pretty much nothing else to do nearby. The closest Target is about 30 minutes away if you're like me and love to roam the clothing section in your spare time. The amenities on campus are pretty good. The library is by far the best part of campus. Freshman dorms are old and somewhat decrepit, but upperclassman dorms are really quite nice and newly renovated. The campus feels very safe, as there are only two 24 hour gated entrances with a fair amount of public safety police present at all times of day and night. The scariest thing you may run into is a mountain lion.

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene
Nov 2, 2020
Rating 3 out of 5

Pepperdine has a pretty strong disregard for any marginalized populations - so if you happen to fit into any of these categories, this may not be the best school for you. On the other hand, if you're straight, white, able-bodied, and Christian, you'll probably love this place. Their abroad programs are by far the best part of the school. I studied in Buenos Aires and the experience there was vastly different from the Malibu campus. If you're interested in having a super unique study abroad, Pepperdine can definitely check those boxes. Professors tend to be opinionated and sometimes bigoted, but can also be really helpful and genuine people. From my understanding, this has a lot to do with what department you are in. There isn't exactly a lot to do in Malibu. Living by the beach is awesome when you have time to go, but there is pretty much nothing else to do nearby. The closest Target is about 30 minutes away if you're like me and love to roam the clothing section in your spare time. The amenities on campus are pretty good. The library is by far the best part of campus. Freshman dorms are old and somewhat decrepit, but upperclassman dorms are really quite nice and newly renovated. The campus feels very safe, as there are only two 24 hour gated entrances with a fair amount of public safety police present at all times of day and night. The scariest thing you may run into is a mountain lion.

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene
Oct 18, 2018
Rating 5 out of 5

Its honestly whatever you make out of it, just like any other college, BUT if you work hard your life after college will be a breeze in comparison

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene

Rate Pepperdine University

Share your ratings for Pepperdine across academics, campus life, and more to help prospective students understand what it's really like to attend.

Your Overall Experience *

If a friend asked whether Pepperdine was worth it, what would your gut say?

Academics *

Did classes challenge you and leave you feeling like you actually learned something?

Value for Money *

Considering tuition, aid, and what you got out of it, did the cost feel justified?

Professors and Faculty *

Were instructors accessible, engaged, and invested in students or mostly going through the motions?

Campus Atmosphere *

Did the campus feel welcoming and full of energy, or more like a place you simply passed through?

Student Housing *

Were dorms and residence halls somewhere you'd want to live, or a constant source of frustration?

Campus Safety *

Did you feel comfortable walking around at night, or did safety ever weigh on your mind?

Student Life *

Was it easy to find your people, make friends, and stay socially connected?

Party and Bar Scene *

Do weekends have a pulse here, or does the social scene quiet down once classes end?

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Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=121150.

Last updated: August 2026