CA
Pepperdine University
2.23 incidents / 1,000 students
Malibu, CA · Clery Act 2024 · Private Nonprofit
Pepperdine University
Across 2022–2024, Pepperdine University reported 74 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count fell over that span (largest filed category: Rape). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: University of San Francisco.
- 2.23
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,099
- Rank of 2,072
- #238
- CA rank
- 8,976
- Enrolled students
2.23 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
Pepperdine University reports 2.23 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 50% below Arizona Western College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Arizona Western College (0.11/1k); Mercy University (1.22/1k); Texas A & M International University (1.22/1k); Rice University (16.85/1k); Florida Institute of Technology (2.89/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Shasta College (1.10/1k); University of California-Merced (6.92/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 2.23
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,099
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 53%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 13
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 121150 · Pepperdine University 2.23/1k score rate · #1,099/2,072
RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-MID 2.23/1k
- RANK-LOWER #1,099/2,072
- ST-MID #238 in state
- BELOW-PEER Florida Institute of Technology · 0.66 back
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-DOWN ↓ 32%
- CAT-LEAD Rape
- ENR-MID 8,976
- FIRE-REPORT 1 fire
Nearest enrollment peer: Florida Institute of Technology (+0.66/1k)
Pepperdine University sheet RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT · peer Florida Institute of Technology. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Florida Institute of Technology (+0.66/1k). National rank #1,099 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
Pepperdine University reports 2.23 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 50% below Arizona Western College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Arizona Western College (0.11/1k); Mercy University (1.22/1k); Texas A & M International University (1.22/1k); Rice University (16.85/1k); Florida Institute of Technology (2.89/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Shasta College (1.10/1k); University of California-Merced (6.92/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around Pepperdine University
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest Pepperdine on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Arizona Western College · lowest peer 0.11
Arizona Western College — lowest peer
0.11 per 1,000 students
- Mercy University · near 1.22
Mercy University — near
1.22 per 1,000 students
- Texas A & M · near 1.22
Texas A & M International University — near
1.22 per 1,000 students
- Pepperdine University · this campus 2.23
Pepperdine University — this campus
2.23 per 1,000 students
- Florida Institute of Technology · near 2.89
Florida Institute of Technology — near
2.89 per 1,000 students
- Rice University · highest peer
Rice University — highest peer
16.85 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around Pepperdine University's 2.23/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
Pepperdine University decreased from 42 to 13 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 CA 4-year peers in this comparison, Pepperdine University is larger than 56% and safer-reporting than 44% - the larger, higher-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Pepperdine University: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concordia University-Irvine | 3,658 | 1.09 | 0 | 64 |
| Western University of Health Sciences | 3,665 | 3.00 | 3 | 33 |
| Loma Linda University | 4,210 | 5.94 | 6 | 14 |
| University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences | 4,370 | 0.92 | 8 | 67 |
| Alliant International University-San Diego | 4,530 | 0.00 | 11 | 92 |
| West Coast University-Orange County | 4,586 | 0.00 | 14 | 92 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | 4,757 | 1.89 | 17 | 58 |
| University of La Verne | 5,021 | 4.58 | 19 | 22 |
| Biola University | 5,434 | 2.02 | 22 | 53 |
| Los Angeles Film School | 5,472 | 0.00 | 25 | 92 |
| Academy of Art University | 5,498 | 2.00 | 28 | 56 |
| Pepperdine University (this campus) | 8,976 | 2.23 | 56 | 44 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at Pepperdine University fell from 42 to 13 (-69%). The increase shows up in Motor Vehicle Theft (0 to 1). Falling over the same period: Fondling (13 to 2), Burglary (12 to 2) and Rape (16 to 8).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at Pepperdine University
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 5 Clery Act categories here: Rape, Burglary, Fondling, Aggravated Assault and Motor Vehicle Theft.
The remaining 6 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, among them Arson, Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter and Negligent Manslaughter. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyPepperdine University: Criminal Offenses by year
Declining 32% (19 → 13 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 19 |
| 2023 | 42 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rape | 8 | 16 | 3 |
| Burglary | 2 | 12 | 9 |
| Fondling | 2 | 13 | 7 |
| Aggravated Assault | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
90 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 7 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 41 |
Pepperdine University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
AZ
Arizona Western College
0.11 incidents / 1,000 students
NY
Mercy University
1.22 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where Pepperdine University sits on price and outcomes
At $58,098, Pepperdine University's reported average net price is cheaper than 100% among 492 California colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $20,161.
- $58,098
- average net price
- $20,161
- California median
- 2.8×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $14,521
- reported income-bracket spread
Net price moves with income here, but not sharply: $50,560 for families reporting under $30,000 against $65,081 above $110,000, a difference of $14,521. Aid narrows the gap without closing it, so the $58,098 average sits reasonably close to what most brackets report.
Median earnings six years after entry ($64,934) are less than 1.1 years of the reported net price. That is a thin margin, and it is the figure worth pressing the school on before enrolling.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $69,918
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $69,918
- Avg Net Price
- $58,098
- Median Debt
- $23,510
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 20%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- SAT Average
- 1384
- SAT Math Range
- 640-740
- ACT Average
- 28
- ACT Range
- 29-32
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 84%
- Retention Rate
- 88%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $64,934
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $82,939
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 78%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 835 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Arizona Western College
Yuma, AZ · 8,964 enrolled
Safety Score 0.11
Mercy University
Dobbs Ferry, NY · 8,991 enrolled
Safety Score 1.22
Texas A & M International University
Laredo, TX · 8,991 enrolled
Safety Score 1.22
Rice University
Houston, TX · 8,961 enrolled
Safety Score 16.85
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL · 8,992 enrolled
Safety Score 2.89
Closest by National Rank
Pepperdine University (national rank #1099) sits near City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College (#1100) and Drexel University (#1098) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College
Chicago, IL
National Rank #1100
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
National Rank #1098
Bethel University
Saint Paul, MN
National Rank #1097
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ
National Rank #1101
Howard University
Washington, DC
National Rank #1096
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for Pepperdine University, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Mercy University
Dobbs Ferry, NY · 8,991 enrolled
Safety score 1.22
Rice University
Houston, TX · 8,961 enrolled
Safety score 16.85
Texas A & M International University
Laredo, TX · 8,991 enrolled
Safety score 1.22
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL · 8,992 enrolled
Safety score 2.89
National Louis University
Chicago, IL · 8,915 enrolled
Safety score 0.00
West Texas A & M University
Canyon, TX · 9,045 enrolled
Safety score 5.75
Purdue University Northwest
Hammond, IN · 9,051 enrolled
Safety score 0.44
The New School
New York, NY · 9,068 enrolled
Safety score 0.99
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA · 21,153 enrolled
Safety score 2.22
Bethel University
Saint Paul, MN · 3,603 enrolled
Safety score 2.22
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · 52,269 enrolled
Safety score 2.24
Howard University
Washington, DC · 14,890 enrolled
Safety score 2.22
Ranken Technical College
Saint Louis, MO · 1,784 enrolled
Safety score 2.24
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA · 7,692 enrolled
Safety score 2.21
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ · 4,003 enrolled
Safety score 2.25
Framingham State University
Framingham, MA · 4,002 enrolled
Safety score 2.25
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pepperdine University safe?
Pepperdine University has a safety score of 2.23 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,099 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Arizona Western College (0.11/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Shasta College (1.10/1k); University of California-Merced (6.92/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k).
What crimes are reported at Pepperdine University?
For calendar year 2024, Pepperdine University reported Rape (8), Burglary (2), Fondling (2) and Motor Vehicle Theft (1) in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does Pepperdine University compare to similar schools?
Pepperdine University reports 50% fewer 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Arizona Western College. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Arizona Western College (0.11/1k); Mercy University (1.22/1k); Texas A & M International University (1.22/1k); Rice University (16.85/1k); Florida Institute of Technology (2.89/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Shasta College (1.10/1k); University of California-Merced (6.92/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k).
Does Pepperdine University have fire safety data?
Yes. Pepperdine University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 1 fire was reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.