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Loyola Marymount Pomona Chapman USD Claremont McKenna Oxy Stanford SCU Caltech USC UCLA UCSB| Harvey Mudd College | Pepperdine University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
| Location | Claremont, CA | Malibu, CA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 949 | 9,545 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #143 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | Churches of Christ | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | hmc.edu | pepperdine.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $65,954 | $65,990 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $65,954 | $65,990 | ||
| Room & Board | $21,710 | $23,270 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $42,720 | $52,216 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $42,070 | $32,986 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 68% | 91% |
Admission |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 4,792 | 12,457 | ||
| Admitted | 626 | 6,210 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 13.1% | 49.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 35.8% | 11.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.96 | 3.74 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Very High | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 34/36 | 26/32 | ||
| SAT Range | 1480/1560 | 1250/1450 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 5, 2026 | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 8:1 | 13:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
| Graduation Rate | 84% | 81% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $84,900 | $71,700 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 75% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $25,540 | $26,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $264 | $268 |
Diversity |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 3% | 18% | ||
| % Women | 1% | 44% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 38% | 47% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 16% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 8% | 5% | ||
| % International | 13% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 4% |
Students |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 43% | 55% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 43% | 34% | ||
Campus |
HMC | Pepperdine | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Pepperdine University is larger than than HMC based on total student enrollment (9,545 students vs. 949 students)
HMC vs. Pepperdine Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, HMC or Pepperdine?
- Pepperdine University is 0.1% more expensive to attend than HMC for in-state tuition ($65,990.00 vs. $65,954.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Pepperdine than Harvey Mudd College ($65,990.00 vs. $65,954.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvey Mudd College than Pepperdine ($42,720 vs. $52,216)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Harvey Mudd College are 7.2% lower than costs at Pepperdine University ($21,710 vs. $23,270)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Pepperdine University than Harvey Mudd College (91% vs. 68%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Harvey Mudd College students is 27.5% larger than aid received Pepperdine University ($42,070 vs. $32,986)
HMC vs. Pepperdine Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, HMC or Pepperdine? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Pepperdine or HMC .
- The average SAT score at Harvey Mudd College (1484) is 258 points higher than at Pepperdine (1226)
- Incoming HMC students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Pepperdine (28)
- Accepted freshman HMC students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Pepperdine (3.74)
- Pepperdine has a higher acceptance rate (49.9%) than HMC (13.1%)
HMC vs. Pepperdine Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, HMC or Pepperdine? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Pepperdine and HMC.
- The graduation rate at HMC is higher than Pepperdine University (84% vs. 81%)
- Graduates from Harvey Mudd College earn on average $13,200 more per year than Pepperdine graduates after ten years. ($84,900 vs. $71,700)
- Harvey Mudd College students graduate with a $460 lower median federal student loan debt than Pepperdine graduates. ($25,540 vs. $26,000)
- HMC graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Pepperdine graduates. ($264 vs. $268)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/