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Stanford Loyola Marymount Yale Johns Hopkins Princeton MIT Duke Columbia Brown Penn UChicago Chapman| Harvard University | Pepperdine University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
| Location | Cambridge, MA | Malibu, CA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 30,386 | 9,545 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #4 | #143 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | Churches of Christ | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | harvard.edu | pepperdine.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $54,269 | $65,990 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $54,269 | $65,990 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,374 | $23,270 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,900 | $52,216 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $64,942 | $32,986 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 57% | 91% |
Admission |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | 56,937 | 12,457 | ||
| Admitted | 1,965 | 6,210 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.5% | 49.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 83.7% | 11.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 4.0 | 3.74 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A/A+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Very High | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 34/36 | 26/32 | ||
| SAT Range | 1500/1580 | 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 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 13:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
| Graduation Rate | 97% | 81% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $136,700 | $71,700 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 70% | 75% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $6,500 | $26,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $67 | $268 |
Diversity |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 32% | 18% | ||
| % Women | 38% | 44% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 44% | 47% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 10% | 16% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 5% | ||
| % International | 11% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 4% |
Students |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 15% | 55% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 70% | 34% | ||
Campus |
Harvard | Pepperdine | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Harvard University is larger than than Pepperdine based on total student enrollment (30,386 students vs. 9,545 students)
Harvard vs. Pepperdine Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Harvard or Pepperdine?
- Pepperdine University is 21.6% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($65,990.00 vs. $54,269.00)
- Out of state tuition is 21.6% higher at Pepperdine than Harvard University ($65,990.00 vs. $54,269.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than Pepperdine ($17,900 vs. $52,216)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Harvard University are 14.2% lower than costs at Pepperdine University ($20,374 vs. $23,270)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Pepperdine University than Harvard University (91% vs. 57%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 96.9% larger than aid received Pepperdine University ($64,942 vs. $32,986)
Harvard vs. Pepperdine Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Harvard or Pepperdine? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Pepperdine or Harvard .
- The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 271 points higher than at Pepperdine (1226)
- Incoming Harvard students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Pepperdine (28)
- Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Pepperdine (3.74)
- Pepperdine has a higher acceptance rate (49.9%) than Harvard (3.5%)
Harvard vs. Pepperdine Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Harvard 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 Harvard.
- The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than Pepperdine University (97% vs. 81%)
- Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $65,000 more per year than Pepperdine graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $71,700)
- Harvard University students graduate with a $19,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Pepperdine graduates. ($6,500 vs. $26,000)
- Harvard graduates are paying $201 less per month on federal student loans than Pepperdine graduates. ($67 vs. $268)
- More Pepperdine graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 70%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/