Why Pepperdine University?

Pepperdine Caruso School of Law offers a distinctive legal education rooted in Christian values, renowned for its top-ranked dispute resolution program and a strong emphasis on practical training and global justice.

Pepperdine University is a selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 27.7%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.85 GPA and 164 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.61–3.94 GPA and 159–166 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 192 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in California, Texas, and Washington — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, Pepperdine University admitted 4 transfer students into the 2L class. 11 1Ls transferred out.

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Specialty strengths

Dispute Resolution (Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution)Entrepreneurship and the Law (Geoffrey H. Palmer Center)Law, Religion, and Ethics (Nootbaar Institute)Entertainment, Media, and Sports LawInternational Law and Global Justice

Class profile

US News rank: #46
Median GPA: 3.85; 25th–75th: 3.61–3.94
Median LSAT: 164; 25th–75th: 159–166
Acceptance rate: 27.7%
Class size (FT 1L): 192
Transfers admitted (2025): 4; ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

Actual GPAs of students Pepperdine University admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.

25th percentile: —; Suppressed (small cohort)
Median: —; 50th percentile
75th percentile: —; Suppressed (small cohort)

11 1Ls transferred out of Pepperdine University in the same cycle — context for how portable Pepperdine University's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.

Top employment markets

1California
2Texas
3Washington

Where the most recent graduating class concentrated employment, per the school's ABA 509 employment summary. Use this as a signal of where the alumni network and OCI recruiting pipeline are strongest.

Signature clinics

Clinical programs that define Pepperdine University's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Pepperdine University" essay where they align with your interests.

Startup Law Clinic
Trains law students to serve entrepreneurs with formation, capitalization, corporate governance, and venture capital transactions.
Faith and Family Mediation Clinic
Provides mediation services to families at the intersection of California family law, Jewish Religious law, and interfaith work.
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)
Offers direct legal representation to low-income taxpayers in disputes with the IRS and provides taxpayer education.
Religious Liberty Clinic
Provides legal services to clients in religious liberty litigation, focusing on amicus briefs, appeals, and advocacy.
Legal Aid Clinic
Serves clients experiencing homelessness in Downtown Los Angeles with a variety of civil legal matters.
Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic
Represents indigent clients as court-appointed counsel in briefing and arguing appeals, often in civil rights cases.

Notable journals

Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.

Pepperdine Law Review— Scholarly legal journal publishing articles on a diverse range of legal issues.
Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal— Facilitates intellectual discourse on the rapidly evolving field of alternative dispute resolution.
Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law— Contributes to legal knowledge in entrepreneurship and business through high-quality periodical publication.
Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary— Focuses exclusively on developments affecting the administrative judiciary.

Faculty highlights

Well-known faculty grouped by primary specialty. If a professor's scholarship aligns with your interests, name them in your essay and reference a specific paper or course.

Paul L. Caron
Tax Law
Robert F. Cochran, Jr.
Law, Religion, and Ethics
Michael Helfand
Religious Law and Religious Liberty
Jennifer Lee Koh
Immigration Law, Criminal Law, Evidence
Maureen Arellano Weston
Dispute Resolution, Entertainment, Media & Sports Law
Gregory S. McNeal
Technology Law and Policy, Public Policy
Alan Tzvika Nissel
Real Estate Law, International Property Law
Barry P. McDonald
Constitutional Law, Freedom of Expression
Shelley Saxer
Property Law, Land Use
Thomas J. Stipanowich
Dispute Resolution, Arbitration

What makes Pepperdine University distinctive

Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.

·Home to the internationally acclaimed Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation.
·The Geoffrey H. Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law offers a multidisciplinary program integrating law, business, and technology.
·Strong emphasis on Christian values and a commitment to service, welcoming students of all faiths.
·Offers a Sudreau Global Justice Program focused on international human rights, religious freedom, and the advancement of the rule of law worldwide.
·Provides diverse global programs including study abroad opportunities in London and Augsburg, Germany, and a Washington, D.C. Externship Semester.

Using this for your "Why Pepperdine University" essay

Strong "Why X Law School" essays are concrete and specific to the school — not interchangeable templates. Use these facts to anchor your essay, then layer on what you've found from the school's own faculty pages, clinical program descriptions, and journal listings.

Important note: admissions committees actively reject AI-written personal statements and "Why X" essays. Use this page as research material to write your own essay — never as a template to copy. Authentic, specific, personally-grounded reasoning is the only thing that wins these essays.

Frequently asked about Pepperdine University

What is the median GPA and LSAT at Pepperdine University?▾

Pepperdine University's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.85 and a median LSAT of 164. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.61–3.94 GPA and 159–166 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.

What is Pepperdine University's acceptance rate?▾

Pepperdine University's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 27.7%, per ABA 509 disclosures.

What clinics does Pepperdine University offer?▾

Pepperdine University's notable clinical programs include: Startup Law Clinic, Faith and Family Mediation Clinic, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), Religious Liberty Clinic, Legal Aid Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.

What journals does Pepperdine University publish?▾

Pepperdine University's notable student-edited journals include: Pepperdine Law Review, Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal, Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law, Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary.

Where do Pepperdine University graduates work?▾

Pepperdine University graduates concentrate employment in California, Texas, Washington, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.

How many transfer students does Pepperdine University admit?▾

Pepperdine University admitted 4 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.

Schools similar to Pepperdine University

Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.

#46

University of Illinois

University of Arizona

Indiana University - Bloomington

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Sources (5) — verify any fact above

Generated from public sources via search-grounded AI on 4/27/2026. If any fact looks wrong, click through to verify and let us know.