Northeastern vs Pepperdine

Northeastern University and Pepperdine University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Northeastern, located in the heart of Boston, boasts a vibrant urban campus and a renowned co-op program that seamlessly integrates classroom learning with real-world experience. Pepperdine, nestled in the scenic Malibu, California, offers a tranquil campus with stunning ocean views and a strong emphasis on faith-based education. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Northeastern University logo

Northeastern University

Pepperdine University logo

Pepperdine University

Overview

Location Boston, Massachusetts Malibu, California
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 93.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Churches of Christ

Admission

Acceptance rate 18.4% 52.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1430 - 1550 1260 - 1440
ACT range 33 - 35 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 28.0% 19.0%
Students submitting ACT score 14.0% 3.0%
Total number of applicants 75,244 11,855
Total number of admissions given out 13,829 6,249
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,504 1,024
Yield rate 32.6% 16.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,202 $80,152
Average net price $38,927 $40,945
Tuition $56,500 $59,450
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,900

Meal plan: $7,910
$16,700
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

80.0%
Average amount $36,308
96.0%
Average amount $36,967
Students receiving federal student loan 44.0%
Average amount $5,154
38.0%
Average amount $5,171
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $28,495
9.0%
Average amount $12,899

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 15,747
Men 45.9% Women 54.1%
3,708
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students 12,420
Men 52.1% Women 47.9%
6,738
Men 30.2% Women 69.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 46.9%
International students 34.0% 8.3%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 10,481 2,579
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York New Jersey Connecticut California Texas California Texas Washington Colorado Arizona

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 90.6% 83.0%
Dropout rate 5.1% 16.6%
Transferred out 3.8% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,157
  • Year 2: $102,123
  • Year 3: $124,358
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,863
  • Year 2: $100,518
  • Year 3: $122,957
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $113,631
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $121,357
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,065
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $110,392
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,288
  • Year 2: $89,413
  • Year 3: $108,000
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $86,867
  • Year 3: $104,196
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,801
  • Year 2: $89,415
  • Year 3: $103,529
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,777
  • Year 2: $86,867
  • Year 3: $102,904
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,529
  • Year 2: $89,564
  • Year 3: $99,566
Biotechnology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,825
  • Year 2: $80,556
  • Year 3: $98,428
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,699
  • Year 2: $92,733
  • Year 3: $106,087
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,518
  • Year 2: $74,576
  • Year 3: $93,293
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,829
  • Year 2: $96,691
  • Year 3: $91,701
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,898
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $90,146
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,350
  • Year 2: $62,508
  • Year 3: $75,589
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,825
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $71,546
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,559
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $70,082
International Business (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,228
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $65,821
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,799
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $58,854
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,780
  • Year 2: $46,156
  • Year 3: $56,663

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