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Pepperdine University vs University of San Diego

Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.

VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.

The short version

  • San Diego places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 15.3% of the Class of 2025, against 13.1% at Pepperdine.
  • San Diego costs about $11K less over three years after the average scholarship: $223K against $234K, and more of its students get a scholarship (91% vs 77%).
  • Pepperdine is harder to get into: a 164 median LSAT and a 23.4% acceptance rate, against 163 and 23.5% at San Diego.
  • Pepperdine has the higher first time bar pass rate: 90.7% against 86.7%.
Pepperdine
vs
San Diego

Where graduates go

San Diego leads 4 of 5

13.1%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓15.3%
12.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓13.1%
1.1%
Federal clerkships
✓2.1%
93.4%
Graduates employed
✓99.2%
✓90.7%
First time bar passage
86.7%

What it costs

San Diego leads 4 of 4

$234K
Three year net cost
✓$223K
77%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓91%
$30,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$32,000/yr
$29,242/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$32,618/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Pepperdine 23.4% · San Diego 23.5%

LSAT

Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.

Pepperdine
161164167
San Diego
160163165
158160162164166168170

GPA

Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.

Pepperdine
3.613.853.94
San Diego
3.593.843.92
3.503.603.703.803.904.00

Frequently asked questions

Is Pepperdine or San Diego better for BigLaw?
San Diego placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 15.3% against 13.1%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Pepperdine placed 12.0% and San Diego placed 13.1%. Federal clerkships were 1.1% at Pepperdine and 2.1% at San Diego.
Which is harder to get into, Pepperdine or San Diego?
Pepperdine's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 164 and a median GPA of 3.85, with a 23.4% acceptance rate. San Diego's had 163 and 3.84, with 23.5%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Pepperdine or San Diego?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $234K at Pepperdine and $223K at San Diego, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Pepperdine or San Diego?
77% of Pepperdine students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $30,000 a year among recipients. 91% of San Diego students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $32,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
90.7% of Pepperdine's first time takers passed in 2025, against 86.7% at San Diego. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Pepperdine or San Diego?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.

What a higher LSAT changes

Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.

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Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology

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