Pepperdine University Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Ryan

Mostly wealthy or upper middle class.

Rennan

Classmates at Pepperdine are friendly and eager to learn and to help their classmates learn.

Jacob

My classmates are passionate people who love to invest in realtionships, projects, and endeavors that are bound to have a lasting impact on the world around them.

Dan

They are extremely caring people who are passionate in whatever fields they want to pursue.

Bailey

My classmates are highly motivated individuals who are incredibly intelligent and tend to get involved in many activities.

Tanner

The student body that makes up Pepperdine University is the sole reason why I have had such an incredible and transformational experience my freshmen year, because the students reflect the ideas of unity and family alongside the academically-driven and diverse community.

Stephanie

My classmates are friendly, driven, and usually overcommitted because there are so many opporutnities to get involved on campus.

Hope

My classmates are all very focused, fun, and genuine.

James

students at pepperdine are fun loving, funny, and generally awesome to be around. Anyone who comes here would be able to find a group of friends very easily. everyone is very easygoing and if you put some effort into getting to know them you will not be dissapointed. There is the whole range of very religious people to people who are not so religious, so dont let the religious aspect put you off.

Kaitlyn

The students here are determined and work hard but in a cooperative fashion.

Brittni

My classmates are mostly conservative and upper-class.

Laura

My classmates at Pepperdine are diverse, each bringing something unique yet important to the table, but united at the same time by a desire to be involved on campus, pursue lifelong friendships with each other, grow academically and spiritually, and achieve high-quality education.

Freddy

My classmates are very conservative and close-minded.

Thomas

They can be described as intelligent, religious, studious and dedicated to their studies.

Genevieve

Overall, the attire at Pepperdine is a classy casual chic. The hilly campus discourages high fashion, yet this does't stop some brave girls from busting out their high heels. For the most part, the clean, crisp look of jeans and boat shoes are popular, and a grungy girl in dark makeup would neither fit in nor feel welcome. The overtly moody, artistic types are essentially non-existent at Pepperdine. The students have become increasingly racially-diverse over the years, and slowly all multicultural groups are beginning to intermingle. There was a time when minorities bunched together at cafeteria tables, simply for the sake of familiarity, but various clubs have brought awareness to different cultures through cultural nights, abating the mild tension. The first multicultural graduation was incorporated at Pepperdine in the spring of 2011, which spawned a heated debate over whether such a separation of "caucasians" from those of other backgrounds was truly a way to integrate other cultures into Pepperdine's campus. The final conclusion seemed to be that minorities got an event which celebrated their rich heritage. The majority of students are either from Texas or local, from the southern California area. There is an increasing number of international students, many of whom come from southeast Asia. While many privileged people attend Pepperdine, those of various socio-economic backgrounds come to Pepperdine as well, through the help of generous university financial aid packages. Additionally, Church of Christ students get substantial, if not full, scholarships for their education at Pepperdine. This mishmash of spiritual students is primarily concerned with giving back to the communities which formed them, although as a high percentage have come from comfortable homes, making enough to continue their familiar lifestyles is undeniably a factor in their educational pursuits.

Sonya

Diversity is an often discussed issue on our campus. Not known for the greatest variety, Pepperdine has room for improvement. Having said that, I don't think any group is marginalized. Dozens of campus groups are available to join for a variety of ethnic backgrounds, professional interests, and leisure preferences. The LGBT group would be the only group who may argue that they are marginalized, seeing as how Pepperdine is a private university which affirms Christian values it considers discordant with homosexuality and, thus, does not currently have an official, university-recognized LGBT group. There is an unofficial group, but it must meet off campus. The administration is working toward greater equality through a program with students called "Building Bridges," and the issue is discussed much more openly now than in the past. There is room for more progress and discussion, but I think the most important thing is that no group is treated oppressively, and Pepperdine certainly does not oppress even a group it does not endorse. Some of the most prolific individuals at Pepperdine are also a part of the LGBT group. Pepperdine is an informal campus, in attitude and attire (we're in a beach city, after all). Socioeconomic status sometimes begs to differ (we're in Malibu, after all), with many students driving much nicer cars than their professors. As a proud driver of a Toyota, I don't feel judged at all by those with a brand-new Mercedes. Some people may roll their eyes at the guy who was given a Maserati by his parents, but whether someone has money or not, I don't think people are treated all that differently. The same goes for religion. While many students are religious, especially non-denominational Christian or Church of Christ, I know people who are Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and atheists. These people all came to Pepperdine of their own volition and, while their respective religions may not be the majority, I have never heard any of them express frustration over the religious component of Pepperdine, a component woven into the fabric of the university through its mission statement. I do think we could have more education in comparative religions so we can converse with these students more knowledgeably. Politically, sometimes we're apathetic. The College Republicans have a strong enough presence, but it's the College Libertarians who have experienced the biggest spike in activity over the last couple of years. The Young Democrats exist, I think, but they're not very active. Stereotypically, we're a conservative school, though we're considered fairly liberal among very conservative schools. Liberal students have sometimes expressed frustration at the "bubble" of worldviews people tend to stay within. The editorial section of the newspaper sometimes showcases a good balance of political views.

Noelle

Pepperdine students are predominantly white, Christian, and fairly well-off. I don't think there is any particular type of person that would not find acceptance from the students at Pepperdine, however one of the major issues we have is the administration's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding LGBT students. Because Pepperdine is a Christian school, the administration feels the need to retain a Christian value system within the school, and therefore refuse to officially sanction the many LGBT student groups that have appeared over the years. There are definitely LGBT students at Pepperdine, just as there are non-Christian students, non-white students, and students who rely primarily on financial aid in order to come to Pepperdine. Everyone I know at Pepperdine is very accepting.

Kristin

There is a wide variety of students at Pepperdine, though almost all know how to work hard for good grades as they were some of the top students at their high schools. While some people look like they just stepped off the runway in the latest fashions when arriving for class, others look like they rolled out of bed two minutes before class started. Quite a few of the student on campus come from very wealthy backgrounds, and money is not an issue for them at all. However, there are other students who are at Pepperdine courtesy of scholarships, grants, and loans as well. It's thought that Pepperdine is a pretty conservative campus, but there are plenty of liberal students as well, providing a bit of contrast, though most students seem to not be extremely interested in politics.

Gregory

They are usually focused on academics and are nice people to work with.

Aaron

My classmates at Pepperdine are some of the brightest and most highly motivated students in the nation, in addition to being extremely optimistic about life and, in some cases, very optimistic about God and His presence in their lives.

Rita

My classmates and many of the Pepperdine students are extremely into community service. Students here love to serve. There are many programs here where you can serve the community. Many of my classmates are also very spiritual and religious. Many of us attend church regularly and enjoy worshipping and praising God.

Rachel

Enthusiastic, good looking, mostly conservative, yet more liberal than our parents, Christian, genuine, loving, friendly, environmentally conscious, individuals who want to get a good education in a supportive Christian environment, and who are pursuing their calling, or vocation, in life by investing time in investigating purpose, service, and leadership.

Megan

Passionate, priviliged individuals with well-defined goals and expectations.

Chelsea

Friendly, upbeat, and helpful , some of whom have become life long friends.

Jessica

My classmates are enthusiastic about learning as well as life itself.

Amanda

Middle-class individuals who sincerely care about their fellow students and are friendly, helpful people.

Jared

Rich, White, Laid back

Luci

My classmates are diverse, accepting and friendly.

Caleb

Outspoken, friendly and willing to help each other when someone needs help

Lisa

They are gifted and driven individuals with an array of passions, and all are intent on serving others

Jordan

Diverse

Ryan

Binge Drinkers, Adderall poppers, pot smokers, church of christ fanatics, and mysteries.

Amber

Students and professors are nice. Class is a great way to connect with your professors. Student relationships are typically not formed in classes. A lot of the majors are small enough that you have many of the same students in every class with you.

Robbieana

My classmates are mostly Caucasian and Christian, but regardless of race and religion, everyone is pretty friendly and kind, especially since this is a small community and everyone knows each other or at least has seen each other around campus.

Tera

My classmates are attentive with a twinge of clas-clowning and a lot of opinion.

Nicole

They extremely focused and grades oriented so they desire to perform well while having fun.

Courtney

Pepperdine's student body is predominately white from middle to upper class backgrounds and mostly from California, Texas or Colerado. There is a strong Christian presence on campus and a lot of conservatives, but most students are more moderate and there are a decent ammount of liberals as well. There is also a fairly large gay community on campus for a Christian college anyways. There has been some tension between the more conservative students and gay students, but for the most part Pepperdine has a very friendly environment. One of the things that stood out to me when I first came there is that everyone will say hi to you and everyone holds the door for the person behind them. Even if you don't know anyone, walking down the halls you feel welcome because people will smile at you and people will hold the door for you. For the most part, Pepperdine students don't care about how much they'll be able to earn one day but about where they'll be able to go and what they'll be able to do when they graduate. Students either want to do what they love or want to be able to make a difference in the world when they graduate and a paycheck is not a priority.

Kathleen

Nobody is going to feel out of place here. There are activities, classes, clubs, and friends for everybody. No matter what you like or what you're interested in, there's a place for you here.

Rex

Pepperdine is so laid back and casual. Most students attend class in shorts and t shirts. Alot of the student body is white but there are also clubs for african americans and asians as well as the latrino or hispanic student body. Also I think most of Pepperdine students come out of the great state of Texas!

Kristina

Most students like to go greek because it gives you more opportunities to be involved on campus. I wouldn't say there are distinct groups, but since it is a small group most people know who is who and what they do. Most of the students are from california or near by. Many of the students are devoted christians, but i haven't had any problem fitting in considering i don't devote time to my faith.

Hillary

The campus is pretty diverse. There are those blatantly obvious stereotypes that stand out but that's life.

Kyle

, Atheist friends, all types. Most people have some money because its an expensive private school, and there's quite a few that are loaded... but you dont really feel pressured to have money and the kids don't act snobby. Greek life is big and a lot of people participate, but quite a few aren;t. Everyone interacts for the most part. There's a lot of opportunities for politics, religious, volunteer work... little bit of everything.

Jess

There's a place for every student at Pepperdine, some just have to look harder then others. If your looking for a party school this is not the place, we have party's, but they are hush hush, and you better know somebody before you go. There seem to be two types of kids at Pep though. Those who's parents pay their way through the school, and have money and aren't afraid to flaunt it. And the Church of Christ kids that are on financial aid and are just happy to be here.

Brittany

Students dress for the most part like "Malibu" culture, however, you can find many students dressed in sweats after the first three weeks of school. There are some seperations within the caf on places to sit but you can pretty much sit where you want. Students from Pepperdine are from all over the United States so it is easy to meet people from different backgrounds.

Darren

A great group to be around, everyone is friendly and worth meeting.

Jamie

Pepperdine's students are very laid back. It has sort of a beachy feel. Some guys will walk around in board shorts and a t-shirt and sandals, while others wear shorts and a polo. There is a mix since people are coming from all over. But what I love about Pepperdine is that I never feel the pressure to dress up and get ready before class or anytime. I have no problem going to class in sweats and a sweatshirt. Of course some girls will take the time to get ready, but the pressure is not there like it is at other schools. A lot of Pepperdine students are from California and Texas, but I would say there is a good mix of other places. I can't think of someone who would feel out of place at Pepperdine, everybody finds their place.

Brooke

One stereotype about Pepperdine students that is fairly accurate is the number of wealthy students. You see a lot of girls going around dressed in designer jeans, with designer handbags and designer sunglasses, sporting expensive phones. However, wealth does not necessarily equal snobbery, and many of these same students are socially active about things like poverty and the AIDS crisis. This is in part due to the religious pulse of the school, which is associated with the Churches of Christ. Although there are other religions represented, the majority of the students are Christians of some degree, and many are not embarrassed to talk about faith. Despite this Christian vibe, there are a surprising number of homosexual (usually male) students at Pepperdine. In fact, one of the biggest complaint by Pepperdine girls is that the gender ration is 60-40 (perhaps due to the lack of a football team) and many of the 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} male population aren't interested in women!

taylor

where to begin. all i can say is if you want to move on to the real world, don't come to this school. the people are all sheltered preppy kids who want to hold the appearance of devout christian during the week and hardcore sports player and partier on the weekends. despite the fact that there is nothing to do in or around malibu, these kids find ways to get relatively trashed every weekend and post their 1,001 pictures on facebook.

Caitlin

there are many different types of people at Pepperdine, however, it is slightly like high school. in the middle of the caf, you have the athletes and their groupies and all the "popular" greek kids (greek row); on the far side is where people study and no one is really socializing (loser town) and on the closest side is where most of the ethnic student body of Pepperdine eats (ethnic ville). this may sound closed-minded and childish, but it is sort of what Pepperdine boils down to. on the other hand, there are some really cool people there and once you find your niche, I think anyone could be happy. but give it time- you may not like it after the first month, semester or even year, but give the school a second chance. it feels like home and you can learn so much from the school, faculty, and students. financially, most students are well-off and this can make less-fortunate students feel isolated, but for the most part, this is not an issue.

Alex

Stereotypes are there, but a lot of other peoples too. Most from Cali and Tx. Different types of students do interact. Most are fairly well off financially, but there are those from all economic backgrounds. Very little political awareness, even less activity. Most students are apathetic. Then there's a lot of Bill O'Reilly/Ann Coulter types. Homophobia abounds, but not on a blatant hick level. Religion is the life of many here, but just as many couldn't care less.