Programs & majors brief

Pepperdine University Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at Pepperdine University?

Pepperdine University awards bachelor's degrees across 11 fields with published four-year earnings. The highest-earning program, Economics, shows a median of $104,943 four years after completion, alongside 51 degrees awarded.

International Business follows at $100,595 with 24 degrees awarded, and Business Administration and Management—the largest program by degrees awarded at 218—reaches $91,227. Kinesiology and Physical Education reports a median of $65,100 on 64 degrees awarded.

Psychology reaches $61,353 with 77 degrees awarded. These figures sit below the university's overall median four years after completion, reflecting the spread between higher-earning business and economics fields and the moderate-earning social and health sciences.

Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

  • Business265 · 29.7%
  • Communication155 · 17.4%
  • Social sciences97 · 10.9%
  • Psychology77 · 8.6%
  • Parks and recreation64 · 7.2%
  • Other235 · 26.3%

30 of 30 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Economics 51 degrees awarded
$104,943
International Business 24 degrees awarded
$100,595
Business Administration, Management and Operations 218 degrees awarded
$91,227
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 127 degrees awarded
$81,417
Political Science and Government 34 degrees awarded
$75,954
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 64 degrees awarded
$65,100

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs
Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks
ProgramDegrees awarded4-yr earningsField rank
Economics51$104,943—
International Business24$100,595—
Business Administration, Management and Operations218$91,227—
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication127$81,417—
Political Science and Government34$75,954—
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness64$65,100—
International/Globalization Studies21$62,495—
Psychology, General77$61,353—
Journalism small degree count10$58,801—
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication small degree count6$55,432—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft small degree count7$50,594—
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count5Too few graduates to report—
Communication and Media Studies small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies small degree count10Too few graduates to report—
English Language and Literature, General small degree count6Too few graduates to report—
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Biology, General63Too few graduates to report—
Mathematics small degree count16Too few graduates to report—
Mathematics and Computer Science small degree count15Too few graduates to report—
Nutrition Sciences small degree count9Too few graduates to report—
Philosophy small degree count13Too few graduates to report—
Physics small degree count7Too few graduates to report—
Sociology small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Fine and Studio Arts small degree count17Too few graduates to report—
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management small degree count11Too few graduates to report—
Film/Video and Photographic Arts small degree count8Too few graduates to report—
Music small degree count7Too few graduates to report—
Accounting and Related Services small degree count15Too few graduates to report—
Finance and Financial Management Services small degree count8Too few graduates to report—
History small degree count8Too few graduates to report—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at Pepperdine University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations
218
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
127
Psychology, General
77
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
64
Biology, General
63
Economics
51
Political Science and Government
34
International Business
24
International/Globalization Studies
21
Fine and Studio Arts
17

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions

How do Pepperdine University majors rank nationally?

National program ranks are not reported for this school.

How Azimuth compares programs across colleges

Further analysis

Outcomes at Pepperdine University vary sharply by field, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. Of the 11 programs with published earnings data, the three largest families by degrees awarded are Business, Communication & Journalism, and Social Sciences.

Business accounts for 29.7% of bachelor's degrees, followed by Communication & Journalism at 17.4% and Social Sciences at 10.9%. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, which awarded 218 degrees in one academic year and shows median earnings of $91,227 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is Economics, at $104,943, from a smaller cohort of 51 degrees awarded. Award counts are degrees conferred in a single year, not distinct students, and program earnings cover federally aided completers.

The spread between the largest and best-paid programs is a reminder that field of study coincides with outcomes as much as the institution itself.

Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.