Pepperdine University facts for kids
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Former names
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George Pepperdine College (1937–1971) |
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| Motto | Freely ye received, freely give |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | 1937 |
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Religious affiliation
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Church of Christ |
| Endowment | $1.21 billion (2022) |
| President | Jim Gash |
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Academic staff
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421 full-time (2022), 561 part-time (2022) |
| Students | 10,030 (Fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 3,662 (Fall 2022) |
| Postgraduates | 6,368 (Fall 2022) |
| Location |
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United States
34°02′19.26″N 118°42′27.29″W / 34.0386833°N 118.7075806°W |
| Campus | Suburban 830 acres (340 ha) |
| Newspaper | Pepperdine Graphic |
| Colors | Blue and orange |
| Nickname | Waves |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I – WCC |
| Mascot | Willie the Wave |
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Pepperdine University is a private research university located in Los Angeles County, California. It's connected with the Churches of Christ. Pepperdine's main campus is huge, covering 830 acres (340 hectares), and it has amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, California.
The university was started by a businessman named George Pepperdine in South Los Angeles in 1937. Later, in 1972, it grew and moved to Malibu. Today, classes are taught at the main Malibu campus, at three other campuses in Southern California, a center in Washington, D.C., and even international campuses in places like Buenos Aires, Argentina; London, United Kingdom; Heidelberg, Germany; Florence, Italy; and Blonay – Saint-Légier, Switzerland.
Pepperdine University has an undergraduate school called Seaver College, which focuses on liberal arts. It also has four graduate schools: the Caruso School of Law, the Graziadio Business School, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and the School of Public Policy.
Contents
University History
How it Started
In 1937, during a tough time called the Great Depression, George Pepperdine decided to open a college. He wanted it to be a liberal arts school connected to the Churches of Christ. He named it George Pepperdine College.
George Pepperdine made his money from a company called Western Auto Supply. He believed it was wrong to keep a lot of money for himself. He wanted to use his wealth to help people. He had two main goals for his new college:
- To offer excellent, accredited education in liberal arts.
- To help students build a life like Christ, love the church, and care about others.
On September 21, 1937, the college opened its doors to 167 students from many different places. The first campus was built on 34 acres (14 hectares) in South Los Angeles. By 1938, the college was fully accredited, meaning it met high standards for education. The student newspaper, the GraPhiC, started publishing in October 1937.
The college grew a lot over the years. By 1948, it had 1,839 students. In 1944, it started its first graduate program, and in 1963, it launched its first international program in Heidelberg, Germany.
Moving to Malibu
By 1957, the college faced challenges, including the high cost of growing in South Los Angeles. The area around the original campus was changing, and the university started looking for a new, larger location in the suburbs.
In 1966, a group looked at different places. Pepperdine liked a spot in Westlake Village, but then the Adamson-Rindge family offered to donate 138 acres (56 hectares) and sell more land near Malibu. Even though building on the mountainous Malibu site would be expensive, the school decided to move there because of its amazing location and the chance to get more donations. They accepted the land in Malibu in 1968.
Construction on the new Malibu campus began on April 13, 1971. The new campus officially opened in September 1972. Many of the buildings were designed by a famous architect named William Pereira. A lot of money for the construction came from Blanche Seaver, who donated over $160 million. Because of her generosity, the undergraduate college was named Seaver College in 1975.
The university kept its original campus in South Los Angeles for a while, but eventually, in 1981, it was sold. Most of the undergraduate programs had already moved to the beautiful new Malibu campus.
University Growth
| Leaders of Pepperdine | |
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| President |
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| Batsell Baxter |
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| Hugh M. Tiner |
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| M. Norvel Young |
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| William S. Banowsky |
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| Howard A. White |
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| David Davenport |
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| Andrew K. Benton |
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| James A. Gash |
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In 1969, Pepperdine bought a law school in Santa Ana, which became the School of Law. This law school moved to the Malibu campus in 1978. The business programs also grew and became a graduate business school in 1968, later named the School of Business and Management. In 1971, a School of Education was created, which later became the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Because of all these new schools and programs, the institution changed its name to Pepperdine University in 1971.
Pepperdine continued to grow, adding permanent international programs in London and Florence in the mid-1980s. More programs followed in Buenos Aires, Lausanne, and Shanghai. The business school was renamed the Graziadio Business School after a large gift from a real estate developer named George L. Graziadio Jr.. In 2019, the law school was renamed the Caruso School of Law after a $50 million gift from alumnus Rick J. Caruso. The Malibu campus also expanded with the Drescher Graduate Campus, finished in 2003.
Brushfires
Because Pepperdine's Malibu campus is in a natural area, it has sometimes been threatened by brushfires. This happened in 1985, 1993, 1996, 2007, and 2018. The university prepares for these fires by clearing brush around buildings and has plans with the Los Angeles County Fire Department to keep everyone safe on campus.
Campus Life
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Malibu Campus
Pepperdine's Malibu campus is located on 830 acres (340 hectares) in the Santa Monica Mountains. It looks out over the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway. Many people think it's one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world because of its scenery and buildings. It has been described as looking more like a beach resort than a university! You can see the Santa Monica Bay, Catalina Island, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula from campus. Most buildings have white stucco walls, red tile roofs, and large tinted windows, in a style called Mediterranean Revival.
A special feature of the Malibu campus is the Phillips Theme Tower. It's a 125-foot tall tower with a cross on top, designed in 1972. It was built to show Pepperdine's dedication to its Christian mission.
Alumni Park is at the lowest part of the Malibu campus, right next to the Pacific Coast Highway. It's a 30-acre area with lawns, paths, hills, ponds, and coral trees, all overlooking the ocean. This park is used for university events, like graduation ceremonies. Overlooking Alumni Park is Stauffer Chapel, which has beautiful stained-glass windows.
The main academic area for undergraduate students is on a hill above Alumni Park. This area includes the Tyler Campus Center, Payson Library, and the Weisman Museum of Art. Student housing and sports facilities are also nearby. The Caruso School of Law is on another hill above these areas.
The Drescher Graduate Campus is next to the main campus. It was finished in 2003 and is home to the School of Public Policy, the Villa Graziadio Executive Center, and programs for the Graziadio Business School and the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. It also has housing for students and teachers.
Other Campuses
The Graziadio Business School and the Graduate School of Education and Psychology have their main offices in West Los Angeles. These schools also offer programs at campuses in Malibu, Irvine, and Calabasas.
Studying Abroad
Pepperdine has its own campuses in five different countries where students can study for a semester or a year. The first one opened in 1963 in Heidelberg, Germany. Later, programs started in London (1984) and Florence (1985). Other programs have been in Buenos Aires, Lausanne, and Shanghai. In 2021, the Shanghai campus closed. In 2023, the program in Lausanne moved to a new location in Switzerland. The Caruso School of Law also has programs at the London campus.
Besides these, the university has offered international programs in many other places, including Paris, Madrid, Johannesburg, and Tokyo.
What You Can Study
Seaver College: Learning the Basics
Seaver College is named after Frank R. Seaver and his wife Blanche, who gave a lot of money to build the Malibu campus. This college offers a liberal arts education for undergraduate students. This means students take a wide variety of general education courses. Seaver College has received high ratings for its general education requirements. Most Seaver students study abroad at one of Pepperdine's international campuses.
Seaver College offers 46 different majors and 47 minors. These are spread across eight main areas of study, including business, communication, fine arts, humanities, science, religion, and social science.
Besides bachelor's degrees, the college also offers some graduate degrees, like master's degrees in American studies, religion, and ministry, and a master of fine arts in screen and television writing. Students can also get teaching credentials here.
Graziadio Business School: For Business Leaders
Pepperdine University's Graziadio Business School has about 2,000 students. It was founded in 1969 and has helped more than 47,000 students graduate. This school is known for its strong MBA programs.
Caruso School of Law: Becoming a Lawyer
The Caruso School of Law is on the Malibu campus, next to Seaver College, and has about 500 students. It is approved by the American Bar Association. The school's Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution is very highly ranked for helping people solve problems without going to court. The law school also offers programs where students can study in London. It is known for its entertainment law program.
Graduate School of Education and Psychology: Helping Others
The Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) offers master's and doctorate degrees. It has about 1,600 students. Its psychology programs are approved by the American Psychological Association.
School of Public Policy: Shaping the Future
The School of Public Policy has about 70 graduate students who study for a two-year master's degree in public policy. This degree helps students learn how to create and improve government policies.
Student Life
In Fall 2022, Pepperdine had a total of 10,030 students. About 3,662 were undergraduate students (working on their first college degree), and 6,368 were graduate students (studying for advanced degrees). In 2017, about 91% of first-year students returned for their second year, which is a good sign that students are happy there.
Getting In
Pepperdine University is considered "more selective" when it comes to admissions. For the class of 2023, about 13,721 students applied, and 4,241 were accepted (about 30%). Students who were accepted generally had strong grades and test scores.
Support for Veterans
Pepperdine University is part of the Yellow Ribbon Program for Veterans. This program helps military veterans attend college without paying tuition. Pepperdine offers a lot of support to veteran students, helping them get their education for free. As of 2016, 72% of Pepperdine's veteran students were in this program.
Reputation
Pepperdine University is often ranked among the best national universities. U.S. News & World Report has ranked it highly for undergraduate teaching and as a good college for veterans.
Pepperdine is also known for its study abroad programs. In 2015, it was ranked number 1 for having the most undergraduate students studying abroad. About 86.5% of all undergraduate students studied abroad during the 2013–2014 school year!
The law school is highly ranked, especially for its program in dispute resolution, which helps people solve conflicts.
Pepperdine is also recognized for its strong core curriculum. It was one of only 23 schools to receive an "A" grade in a study that looked at how many core subjects (like writing, literature, and science) colleges require.
Sports Teams
Pepperdine University has many sports teams that compete in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports. Most teams play in the West Coast Conference. Pepperdine's teams are called the Waves.
Pepperdine is known for having one of the most successful athletic programs among schools that don't have a football team. They have won many championships!
Pepperdine University has 17 NCAA Division I sports teams:
- Men's Sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, track, volleyball, and water polo.
- Women's Sports: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track, indoor volleyball, and beach volleyball.
There are also other sports clubs, like women's lacrosse, surfing, and men's rugby.
Pepperdine teams have won several NCAA Division I championships:
- Baseball (1992)
- Men's golf (1997, 2021)
- Men's tennis (2006)
- Men's volleyball (1978, 1985, 1986, 1992, 2005)
- Water polo (1997)
Individual athletes from Pepperdine have also won NCAA Division I titles in tennis. The water polo competitions for the 1984 Summer Olympics were even held at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on campus!
Famous People from Pepperdine
There are more than 100,000 living alumni (graduates) of Pepperdine University around the world. Many famous scientists, musicians, business people, engineers, architects, athletes, actors, and politicians have graduated from Pepperdine. The Pepperdine alumni network has over 30 groups in different parts of the world.
Images for kids
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Pepperdine University aerial view in July 2021
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The Phillips Theme Tower with the Santa Monica Mountains in the background (2008)
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A view of Alumni Park and the Santa Monica Bay beyond (2011)
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 2,747 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 |
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In Spanish: Universidad Pepperdine para niños
- List of universities and colleges affiliated with the Churches of Christ
