1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Pepperdine University](/school/pepperdine-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Pepperdine University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/pepperdine-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/pepperdine-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/pepperdine-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/pepperdine-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/pepperdine-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Pepperdine University graduates earn? The reported median is $84,459 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $16,209 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $84,459, in the 92nd percentile. That figure is $16,209 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $8,170 more than the model expects for similar students, placing that gap at the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,109. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $4,061. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $226. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios at Pepperdine University span from a downside of $55,137 to an upside of $95,850, with the typical scenario at $84,459. That range reflects the variation in program-level outcomes four years after completion across the university's 11 programs with published data. The highest-earning programs illustrate this spread: Economics completers earn a median of $104,943, International Business graduates reach $100,595, and Business Administration and Management graduates earn $91,227. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awards 218 degrees and sits at the upper end of the range, while fields like Psychology land closer to the downside scenario. An estimated 29.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $84,459 **Rank for difference from expectations** 79th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Pepperdine University reported median** $84,459 **Peer schools comparable schools · $16,209 below Pepperdine University** $68,250 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $8,170 below Pepperdine University** $76,289 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Pepperdine University students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 83.0% **Completed within six years** 78.0% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 75.0% Source: Pepperdine University Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention; B4–B11 six-year completion. Retention and completion follow different entering cohorts. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $55,137 to $95,850, around the reported median of $84,459. Compare the lower scenario with [Pepperdine University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/pepperdine-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $55,137 **Median · reported** $84,459 **Higher estimate** $95,850 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Pepperdine University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Pepperdine University graduates’ reported earnings are $8,170 above that expectation, the 79th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Pepperdine University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$4,109 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$4,061 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$8,170 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Pepperdine University report the highest earnings? 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. Pepperdine University's largest program families are Business, which accounts for 29.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Communication & Journalism at 17.4%, and Social Sciences at 10.9%. The university publishes earnings data for 11 bachelor's programs, and the figures four years after completion show a wide range. The highest-earning program is Economics, with 51 degrees awarded and a median of $104,943. International Business follows at $100,595 with 24 degrees awarded. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awarded 218 degrees and shows a median of $91,227. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication and Economics round out the picture at $81,417 and $104,943, respectively, with 127 and 51 degrees awarded. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Economics** $104,943 **International Business** $100,595 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $91,227 **Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication** $81,417 **Political Science and Government** $75,954 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness** $65,100 **International/Globalization Studies** $62,495 **Psychology, General** $61,353 [Explore Pepperdine University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/pepperdine-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a wide spread: a downside of $55,137, a typical outcome of $84,459, and an upside reaching $95,850. That range reflects real variation by field. Among the largest programs with published earnings, Economics graduates earn a median of $104,943 four years after completion, while Psychology sits at $61,353. The strongest pillar for Pepperdine University is return on investment. Four years after completion, the median earnings of graduates reach $84,459, placing the university in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $16,209. The earnings cohort includes 1,013 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Graduates earn about $8,170 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that ranks in the 79th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix show a typical outcome of $84,459, with a downside scenario of $55,137 and an upside scenario reaching $95,850. An estimated 29.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The combination of a median earnings figure well above the peer benchmark and higher-than-expected earnings points to a strong return for graduates. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).