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Pepperdine University vs Wayne State University

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

  • Pepperdine places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 13.1% of the Class of 2025, against 4.8% at Wayne State.
  • Wayne State costs about $95K less over three years after the average scholarship: $139K against $234K, and more of its students get a scholarship (83% vs 77%).
  • Pepperdine is harder to get into: a 164 median LSAT and a 23.4% acceptance rate, against 164 and 24.8% at Wayne State.
  • Pepperdine has the higher first time bar pass rate: 90.7% against 73.8%.
Pepperdine
vs
Wayne State

Where graduates go

Pepperdine leads 4 of 5

✓13.1%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
4.8%
✓12.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
4.8%
✓1.1%
Federal clerkships
0.0%
93.4%
Graduates employed
✓98.4%
✓90.7%
First time bar passage
73.8%

What it costs

Wayne State leads 3 of 4

$234K
Three year net cost
✓$139K
77%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓83%
$30,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$34,636/yr
✓$29,242/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$25,115/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Pepperdine 23.4% · Wayne State 24.8%

LSAT

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

Pepperdine
161164167
Wayne State
157164166
154156158160162164166168170

GPA

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

Pepperdine
3.613.853.94
Wayne State
3.563.893.95
3.503.603.703.803.904.00

Frequently asked questions

Is Pepperdine or Wayne State better for BigLaw?
Pepperdine placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 13.1% against 4.8%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Pepperdine placed 12.0% and Wayne State placed 4.8%. Federal clerkships were 1.1% at Pepperdine and 0.0% at Wayne State.
Which is harder to get into, Pepperdine or Wayne State?
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. Wayne State'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 Wayne State?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $234K at Pepperdine and $139K at Wayne State, 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 Wayne State?
77% of Pepperdine students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $30,000 a year among recipients. 83% of Wayne State students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $34,636 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
90.7% of Pepperdine's first time takers passed in 2025, against 73.8% at Wayne State. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Pepperdine or Wayne State?
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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