UC Davis vs. Pepperdine

Should I go to University of California Davis or Pepperdine University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Davis or Pepperdine is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of California Davis vs. Pepperdine University comparison
University of California Davis Pepperdine University College 3 College 4
University of California Davis Pepperdine University
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Overview

UC Davis Pepperdine
Location Davis, CA Malibu, CA
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 39,679 10,030
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #127
Religious Affiliation - Churches of Christ - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu pepperdine.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis Pepperdine
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $62,390
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $62,390
Room & Board $17,692 $18,560
Avg Net Price $17,385 $47,804
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $32,348
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 94%

Admission

UC Davis Pepperdine
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 11,466
Admitted 35,377 5,585
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 48.7%
Enrolled % 18.1% 16.9%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.74
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 25/33 28/32
SAT Range 1160/1400 1285/1480
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

UC Davis Pepperdine
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Communication (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

UC Davis Pepperdine
Graduation Rate 82% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $71,700
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $151 $268

Diversity

UC Davis Pepperdine
% Men 41% 33%
% Women 59% 67%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 47%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 19% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 11% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

UC Davis Pepperdine
% In-State 75% 45%
% Out-of-State 7% 43%

Campus

UC Davis Pepperdine
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Davis is larger than than Pepperdine based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 10,030 students)

UC Davis vs. Pepperdine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or Pepperdine?

  • Pepperdine University is 439.5% more expensive to attend than UC Davis for in-state tuition ($62,390.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.8% higher at Pepperdine than University of California Davis ($62,390.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Davis than Pepperdine ($17,385 vs. $47,804)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Davis are 4.9% lower than costs at Pepperdine University ($17,692 vs. $18,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pepperdine University than University of California Davis (94% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pepperdine University students is 57.4% larger than aid received University of California Davis ($32,348 vs. $20,548)

UC Davis vs. Pepperdine Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Davis or Pepperdine? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Pepperdine or UC Davis .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Davis (1226) is the same at Pepperdine (1226)
  • Incoming UC Davis students have at the same average ACT score (28) as students at Pepperdine (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis 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 (48.7%) than UC Davis (37.3%)

UC Davis vs. Pepperdine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis 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 UC Davis.

  • The graduation rate at UC Davis is higher than Pepperdine University (82% vs. 81%)
  • Graduates from Pepperdine University earn on average $6,500 more per year than UC Davis graduates after ten years. ($71,700 vs. $65,200)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $11,324 lower median federal student loan debt than Pepperdine graduates. ($14,676 vs. $26,000)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $117 less per month on federal student loans than Pepperdine graduates. ($151 vs. $268)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pepperdine students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 75%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/