You really must take the time to run the Net Price Calculator. The cost of attendance at Pepperdine is over $67,000 a year. Our family does not qualify for any need based aid, and my son was constantly contacted by Pepperdine because he had answered “Church of Christ” on his ACT and SAT tests. Based on grades and test scores, the NPC estimated he would have received over $32K in grants and scholarships, and, perhaps, he would have been awarded some of the targeted “Church of Christ” scholarships had he been serious about trying to attend Pepperdine. However, I am sure we still would have been expected to pay nearly $30K a year out of pocket for this school. So Pepperdine was never a place my son ever seriously considered.
Out of curiosity, I just ran the NPC to see what my son might have received if our income had only been $50K a year, but he had the same high stats. The NPC estimated more government grant money, but still calculated Parent PLUS loans of over $20K a year. If a family is earning $50K a year, it would be financial suicide to take out $20K in school loan debt each year (if it were even possible.)
Pepperdine is super expensive. Yes, a gorgeous location, and yes, you would probably thrive. And, no, Page 73 of the handbook would not ruin your experience at Pepperdine unless you would be going there for the primary purpose of having sex outside of marriage, drinking alcohol, smoking, and sneaking people into your dorm room. I can think of far cheaper paths than attending Pepperdine for students whose primary college experience goals are to make a priority any of those activities on page 73. If you don’t like what you read on Page 73, then don’t apply.
When it comes to Pepperdine (and so many other schools), it really turns out to be all about the money. Simple as that. You either have it, can get it, or you can’t. I share a common background with the founders of this university, but as soon as I knew how expensive it was, there was no way the school was ever going to be on our family list, regardless of all the brochures, phone calls, etc. And there were not enough “Church of Christ” scholarships to close the money gap. If attending a school with a lot of students from the same faith background had been my son’s goal, he would not have chosen Pepperdine anyway.
If you are worried at all about that once a week chapel requirement, Pepperdine offers videos on its website of every single chapel service. While God may be mentioned at these services, and without embarrassment, most of these services are just feel good encouragement sessions designed to motivate students and inspire them. What could be so wrong about that?
