The student population at Pepperdine University is 8,976 (3,553 undergraduate and 5,423 graduate students) . The number of students has increased by 1,344 (17.61%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at Pepperdine is 39.58% which is increased by 20 over last 10 years. The graduate student population increased by 1,324 and it has been increasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 50 male students for every 100 female students, down from 71 in 2015.
- 2,486 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 935.83% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 8,850 where 8,976 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 5 year-over-year increases and 4 decreases. It peaked at 10,446 students in 2022 and was lowest at 7,632 in 2016. Overall, enrollment rose from 7,632 to 8,976 students, a net gain of 1,344 (17.6%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Pepperdine University since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 3,590 where 3,553 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Pepperdine University since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 5,260 where 5,423 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Pepperdine University since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 41.91% and the percentage of black students is 8.07% at Pepperdine University. 11.54% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 22.21% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 44.01% to 41.91%. Asian enrollment grew from 10.06% to 11.54%. Black student enrollment increased from 7.43% to 8.07%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 13.40% to 22.21%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.7521 which indicates that quite diverse. This decreased from 0.7715 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has declined.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Pepperdine University over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
2,486 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 28% of total students. The number of online students has increased 935.83% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Pepperdine University from 2015 to 2025.