UC Riverside vs. Pepperdine

Should I go to University of California Riverside or Pepperdine University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Riverside 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 Riverside vs. Pepperdine University comparison
University of California Riverside Pepperdine University College 3 College 4
University of California Riverside Pepperdine University
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Overview

UC Riverside Pepperdine
Location Riverside, CA Malibu, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 26,809 10,030
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #127
Religious Affiliation - Churches of Christ - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu pepperdine.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside Pepperdine
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $62,390
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $62,390
Room & Board $17,333 $18,560
Avg Net Price $14,487 $47,804
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $32,348
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 94%

Admission

UC Riverside Pepperdine
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 11,466
Admitted 37,563 5,585
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 48.7%
Enrolled % 14.8% 16.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.74
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/31 28/32
SAT Range 1080/1280 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 Riverside Pepperdine
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Communication (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside Pepperdine
Graduation Rate 67% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $71,700
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $197 $268

Diversity

UC Riverside Pepperdine
% Men 49% 33%
% Women 51% 67%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 47%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 36% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 4% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

UC Riverside Pepperdine
% In-State 94% 45%
% Out-of-State 2% 43%

Campus

UC Riverside 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 Riverside is larger than than Pepperdine based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 10,030 students)

UC Riverside vs. Pepperdine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or Pepperdine?

  • Pepperdine University is 439.5% more expensive to attend than UC Riverside 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 Riverside ($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 Riverside than Pepperdine ($14,487 vs. $47,804)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Riverside are 7.1% lower than costs at Pepperdine University ($17,333 vs. $18,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pepperdine University than University of California Riverside (94% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pepperdine University students is 46.8% larger than aid received University of California Riverside ($32,348 vs. $22,042)

UC Riverside vs. Pepperdine Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Pepperdine University (1226) is 107 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming Pepperdine students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at Pepperdine (3.74)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than Pepperdine (48.7%)

UC Riverside vs. Pepperdine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside 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 Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at Pepperdine is higher than University of California Riverside (81% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Pepperdine University earn on average $19,500 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($71,700 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $6,891 lower median federal student loan debt than Pepperdine graduates. ($19,109 vs. $26,000)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $71 less per month on federal student loans than Pepperdine graduates. ($197 vs. $268)
  • More Pepperdine graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 65%)

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