Pepperdine University Top Questions

There are a lot of groups at the school, but they're all pretty similar in demeanor. A successful Pepperdine student should be laid-back, a bit image-conscious, and in shape. There's just no way to get around campus if you're out of shape. People at Pepperdine invest a lot of time in their appearance so you might find yourself out of the loop if you're not into being well-kept. People who aren't very outgoing tend to fade into the woodwork out here. If you like making your presence known, you'll find a lot of friends.

The student body at Pepperdine is less diverse in a lot of ways than some others one might find. It is comprised of mostly middle- and upper-class white students, no doubt. There are a fair share of Asian students, but they mostly keep to themselves. The black students also, as far as I can tell, keep to themselves (there is a strong black student union). There is also a very minority LGBT population. Pepperdine's religious affiliation drives many of the LGBT crowd away. However, for the most part, the other parts of the student body are accepting and loving, for sure. There are even gay guys in some of the fraternities - something I don't think you would find at your average state school. I'm not sure if Pepperdine students as a whole are very politically active, but the ones who are certainly are vocal. The College Republicans are incredibly strong. Young Democrats, not as much - but still definitely around. The left-leaning students are more involved in other organizations that focus on social justice and community service, I think.

Pepperdine is a religious university, and a majority of students are religious as well. However, the students are in no way condescending of people such as myself who choose not to be religious. Most are fairly open-minded to beliefs outside of their own. The administration... that can be a different story. About half of the student body is from California, and the southwest makes up a sizeable portion as well. There are some international students, many of whom integrate nicely into the university. Pepperdine is very racially and culturally tolerant, not suprising for a SoCal school. Physical fitness is a big thing on campus, kind of ironic when you consider the cramped gym underneath Firestone Fieldhouse. Many students will squeeze their way into it after class, or opt to surf or run on the track, which overlooks the beautiful Pacific Ocean. There is a noticeable lack of intellectualism on campus. You are not going to find students sitting on the grass discussing the meaning of life (unless you too believe life is all about Starbucks and Hollister). Fashion is a big thing on campus. Make sure you keep yourself well-balanced.

Almost everyone is Christian, whether practicing or not. Most of the student body is Protestant with a pretty sizeable Catholic population as well. I know of one Jewish person and one Latter-Day Saint. As far as religion goes, Pepperdine is pretty homogenous. Pepperdine would be considered pretty diverse in general, but not at all for a California school. While most people have some friends outside of their race, different racial groups do tend to self-segregate here. Although Pepperdine has a reputation for having a lot of rich kids, its not actually the case. There probably aren't any students who are actually poor, but a good amount of the student population is solidly middle class. However, there is a huge amount of BMWs on campus. Most people don't go all out dressing up for class, but it definetely is a dressy campus. The weather is always nice so you'll see a lot of cute dresses and skirts. It is definetely not a pajama school. People just don't wear their pajamas to around campus EVER, not even during finals week. Most Pepperdine students are from California or Texas. It's unfortunate that there isn't as much geographic diversity here at Pepperdine. Politically, the school is pretty conservative. That doesn't mean everyone is Republican, but the probably the majority of kids come from families that are Republican. It is extremely rare to come across an extreme liberal here.

Most Pepperdine students are from the west coast (CA, AZ, WA, TX, OR, CO) but you get students from ALL over the world. All of my friends and I come from similar but somewhat different backgrounds as far as socio-economic class, high schools, and ethnicity go. There wouldn't be four seperate tables of different people at pepperdine because they would be four tables of people inter-mingling. I would say it's about 40/60 on students' political preference. 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} left and 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} right. Money is really not an issue here at Pepperdine.

Pepperdine students are a great mixture of people. There are students from all over the country, as well as students from over 70 countries. There is a large amount of students who are Christian because of the religious affiliation, but there are students who are not religious. There are students who are interested in almost everything. From sports to drama to volunteering, you will find someone on Pepperdine's campus who is passionate about it.

not very diverse, people are involved in cliques. students very political, almost fake sophistication

Pepperdine student body is not a very diverse group if individuals. The majority of students are, understandably, from California, and then the next closest is Texas. Texans are mainly drawn here because of the Christian values that the school promotes. The majority of people here are conservative or Republican, and are willing to defend their point of view. The only oddity at Pepperdine is that there are a large number of gay men here.

There are a lot of rich students on campus who will carry their designer bags with gucci sunglasses on their heads, jumping out of the BMWs on the way to class. But we are not all like that. The average Pepperdine student wears jeans, sandals and a T-shirt to class, just like every college student. I have noticed that we are a little more formal in attire than many other colleges, in that less people wear sweats to school. Students are predominately conservative but there are all parts of the spectrum represented. The political groups aren't very active on campus. Most Pepperdine students are from California and Texas. This was surprising to me when I came on campus but then I learned that Church of Christ, Pepperdine's affiliated church, is big in Texas, which draws a lot of students from Texas to Pepperdine.

Most students look put-together everyday. Very rarely do I see people wearing pajamas, and when I do, it's a little surprising, since no one hardly wears them outside. The men's athletic teams almost always sit together in the caf, and they have their tables that they always sit at. Mostly the student body consists of middle to upper class students, involved in student government, intense academics, sports, or greek life. There is a group for those who don't "fit the mold" of the average Pepperdine student, and they seem to have a really strong bond. Everyone is able to find their niche here.

I already discussed most of these areas in other sections. Politically, many students including myself are more conservative to moderate. There is also a good percentage of liberal people.

Pepperdine's student body is mostly white with a large percentage of female students. Almost every student here is upper-middle class or higher as concerns socioeconomic status. Students generally stick to the California casual when it comes to dressing for class: jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops. It's common to see designer items floating around campus (Louis Vuitton bags, 7 jeans, etc...). They aren't by any means must have items. You won't be shunned for not having those kinds of things. People here just have a taste for the finer things in life.

Pepperdine could be much more diverse; however, then what would Pepperdine's reputation be? The majority, I would say, is upperclass caucasions. However, there is also a good amount of ratial and economic diversity. There is a standard at Pepperdine University. If you choose to meet that standard then you want to always look presentable. We are known for our beauty for a reason. Most students at Pepperdine are Republicans.

This is a religious school, so the atmosphere is slightly different than at other schools. Pepperdine is known as a rich white school, however many people are from middle class, we have people from all different countries. Most people are religious in some way or another. Clothing changes I feel based on the major someone is in. Business and advertising majors tend to dress better, because they are getting ready for the business world. I am a sports medicine minor and have taken many pre-med classes, and we all usually wear jeans, sweats and t-shirts!!!!! There are many different groups on campus, who may share different views but get along. There are no real rivals at Pepperdine. There are political clubs on campus, but neither bashes the other, but rather promotes the students to join the club that they believe in.

Pepperdine, despite its stereotypes, has a pretty diverse student body. Not necessarily demographically (it is mostly white), but personality wise Pepperdine students are all over the place. About a third of the students are heavlity influenced by their Christian beliefs, giving a large population of conservative students which most colleges do not have. At the same a third of students at Pepperdine are your typical party college students, looking to drink on the weekends and maybe one day a week. Suprisingly there is not much clash between these two extremes. A third of the students lie in the middle. Those are usually just moderate students who might go out every now and then, but their focus is usually on academics and other extracurriculars. There are a lot of service organizations on campus as well, so many students, regardless of their social life, participate in service opportunities. Theres kind of a more friendly atmosphere as a result, and most students know each other because its a smaller school. The school is also predominantly Republican as well, which is a change from most college campuses. I would say Pepperdine has a pretty unique student bod.

Being a member of the Church of Christ, I have always wondered what non-members and non-religious students thought of the "Christian" environment of our campus. I have been pleased to hear from most people that they have never felt that religion had been forced upon them and that they feel, and I agree, that the religious climate of our school is pretty even tempered allowing for many different points of view to coexist. There are always comments about the lack of ethnic students on campus but I personally have never felt that there were definite racial tensions between groups.

Virtually zero racial or religious diversity on campus. Token numbers of minorities constitute large percentages here only because the campus is so damn small. Any non-Christian needs to avoid Pepperdine like the plague. All dress on campus is casual. The student body is very divided, with different groups (fraternities, sororities, sports teams, etc) having essentially no interaction. Almost everyone is from California, Texas, Oklahoma, or Oregon. Most people are fairly wealthy. Students are generally politically ignorant, but are generally right wing oriented.