Pepperdine University vs University of Tennessee
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
- Tennessee places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 14.5% of the Class of 2025, against 13.1% at Pepperdine.
- Tennessee costs about $66K less over three years after the average scholarship: $168K against $234K, and more of its students get a scholarship (89% vs 77%).
- Pepperdine is harder to get into: a 164 median LSAT and a 23.4% acceptance rate, against 164 and 24.8% at Tennessee.
- Pepperdine has the higher first time bar pass rate: 90.7% against 85.6%.
Pepperdine
vs
Tennessee
Where graduates go
Tennessee leads 3 of 5
13.1%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓14.5%
✓12.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
9.7%
1.1%
Federal clerkships
✓4.8%
93.4%
Graduates employed
✓96.8%
✓90.7%
First time bar passage
85.6%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
$234K
Three year net cost
✓$168K
77%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓89%
✓$30,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$10,550/yr
✓$29,242/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$9,608/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Pepperdine 23.4% · Tennessee 24.8%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Pepperdine
161164167
Tennessee
160164166
158160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Pepperdine
3.613.853.94
Tennessee
3.673.893.95
3.553.653.753.853.95
Pepperdine University
University of Tennessee
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Frequently asked questions
Is Pepperdine or Tennessee better for BigLaw?
Tennessee placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 14.5% against 13.1%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Pepperdine placed 12.0% and Tennessee placed 9.7%. Federal clerkships were 1.1% at Pepperdine and 4.8% at Tennessee.
Which is harder to get into, Pepperdine or Tennessee?
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. Tennessee's had 164 and 3.89, with 24.8%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Pepperdine or Tennessee?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $234K at Pepperdine and $168K at Tennessee, 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 Tennessee?
77% of Pepperdine students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $30,000 a year among recipients. 89% of Tennessee students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $10,550 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
90.7% of Pepperdine's first time takers passed in 2025, against 85.6% at Tennessee. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Pepperdine or Tennessee?
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.
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