University of San Francisco vs Pepperdine

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco and Malibu, University of San Francisco (USF) and Pepperdine University stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. USF, a Jesuit institution, embraces diversity and social justice, while Pepperdine, rooted in Christian values, emphasizes faith and service. With acceptance rates of 65% and 34%, respectively, both universities offer a rigorous academic experience. USF's popular majors include nursing, biology, and business, while Pepperdine excels in business, psychology, and communication. Explore the comparison table to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to find the institution that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal values.
Pepperdine University logo

Pepperdine University

University of San Francisco logo

University of San Francisco

Overview

Location Malibu, California San Francisco, California
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: 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 93.0% 86.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Churches of Christ Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 52.7% 70.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $55
SAT range 1260 - 1440 1190 - 1390
ACT range 25 - 30 26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 19.0% 17.0%
Students submitting ACT score 3.0% 11.0%
Total number of applicants 11,855 22,372
Total number of admissions given out 6,249 15,867
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,024 1,452
Yield rate 16.4% 9.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,152 $75,232
Average net price $40,945 $39,825
Tuition $59,450 $52,920
Room & board $16,700
Room/dormitory: $11,030

Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

96.0%
Average amount $36,967
92.0%
Average amount $31,112
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $5,171
47.0%
Average amount $5,182
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $12,899
6.0%
Average amount $23,306

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,708
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
5,969
Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
Graduate students 6,738
Men 30.2% Women 69.8%
4,065
Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 46.9% 35.6%
International students 8.3% 12.9%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,579 2,800
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Washington Colorado Arizona California Washington Oregon Texas Hawaii

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.0% 75.6%
Dropout rate 16.6% 7.8%
Transferred out N/A 16.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $154,879
  • Year 2: $175,674
  • Year 3: $161,396
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,844
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $130,019
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $117,274
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $127,016
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,668
  • Year 2: $100,292
  • Year 3: $112,643
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,719
  • Year 2: $96,866
  • Year 3: $106,157
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $105,769
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $103,513
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,025
  • Year 2: $79,284
  • Year 3: $95,947
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,019
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $85,917
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,064
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $78,626

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