Pepperdine University Top Questions

My classmates are mostly conservative and upper-class.

My classmates at Pepperdine are diverse, each bringing something unique yet important to the table, but united at the same time by a desire to be involved on campus, pursue lifelong friendships with each other, grow academically and spiritually, and achieve high-quality education.

My classmates are very conservative and close-minded.

They can be described as intelligent, religious, studious and dedicated to their studies.

Overall, the attire at Pepperdine is a classy casual chic. The hilly campus discourages high fashion, yet this does't stop some brave girls from busting out their high heels. For the most part, the clean, crisp look of jeans and boat shoes are popular, and a grungy girl in dark makeup would neither fit in nor feel welcome. The overtly moody, artistic types are essentially non-existent at Pepperdine. The students have become increasingly racially-diverse over the years, and slowly all multicultural groups are beginning to intermingle. There was a time when minorities bunched together at cafeteria tables, simply for the sake of familiarity, but various clubs have brought awareness to different cultures through cultural nights, abating the mild tension. The first multicultural graduation was incorporated at Pepperdine in the spring of 2011, which spawned a heated debate over whether such a separation of "caucasians" from those of other backgrounds was truly a way to integrate other cultures into Pepperdine's campus. The final conclusion seemed to be that minorities got an event which celebrated their rich heritage. The majority of students are either from Texas or local, from the southern California area. There is an increasing number of international students, many of whom come from southeast Asia. While many privileged people attend Pepperdine, those of various socio-economic backgrounds come to Pepperdine as well, through the help of generous university financial aid packages. Additionally, Church of Christ students get substantial, if not full, scholarships for their education at Pepperdine. This mishmash of spiritual students is primarily concerned with giving back to the communities which formed them, although as a high percentage have come from comfortable homes, making enough to continue their familiar lifestyles is undeniably a factor in their educational pursuits.

Diversity is an often discussed issue on our campus. Not known for the greatest variety, Pepperdine has room for improvement. Having said that, I don't think any group is marginalized. Dozens of campus groups are available to join for a variety of ethnic backgrounds, professional interests, and leisure preferences. The LGBT group would be the only group who may argue that they are marginalized, seeing as how Pepperdine is a private university which affirms Christian values it considers discordant with homosexuality and, thus, does not currently have an official, university-recognized LGBT group. There is an unofficial group, but it must meet off campus. The administration is working toward greater equality through a program with students called "Building Bridges," and the issue is discussed much more openly now than in the past. There is room for more progress and discussion, but I think the most important thing is that no group is treated oppressively, and Pepperdine certainly does not oppress even a group it does not endorse. Some of the most prolific individuals at Pepperdine are also a part of the LGBT group. Pepperdine is an informal campus, in attitude and attire (we're in a beach city, after all). Socioeconomic status sometimes begs to differ (we're in Malibu, after all), with many students driving much nicer cars than their professors. As a proud driver of a Toyota, I don't feel judged at all by those with a brand-new Mercedes. Some people may roll their eyes at the guy who was given a Maserati by his parents, but whether someone has money or not, I don't think people are treated all that differently. The same goes for religion. While many students are religious, especially non-denominational Christian or Church of Christ, I know people who are Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and atheists. These people all came to Pepperdine of their own volition and, while their respective religions may not be the majority, I have never heard any of them express frustration over the religious component of Pepperdine, a component woven into the fabric of the university through its mission statement. I do think we could have more education in comparative religions so we can converse with these students more knowledgeably. Politically, sometimes we're apathetic. The College Republicans have a strong enough presence, but it's the College Libertarians who have experienced the biggest spike in activity over the last couple of years. The Young Democrats exist, I think, but they're not very active. Stereotypically, we're a conservative school, though we're considered fairly liberal among very conservative schools. Liberal students have sometimes expressed frustration at the "bubble" of worldviews people tend to stay within. The editorial section of the newspaper sometimes showcases a good balance of political views.

Pepperdine students are predominantly white, Christian, and fairly well-off. I don't think there is any particular type of person that would not find acceptance from the students at Pepperdine, however one of the major issues we have is the administration's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding LGBT students. Because Pepperdine is a Christian school, the administration feels the need to retain a Christian value system within the school, and therefore refuse to officially sanction the many LGBT student groups that have appeared over the years. There are definitely LGBT students at Pepperdine, just as there are non-Christian students, non-white students, and students who rely primarily on financial aid in order to come to Pepperdine. Everyone I know at Pepperdine is very accepting.

There is a wide variety of students at Pepperdine, though almost all know how to work hard for good grades as they were some of the top students at their high schools. While some people look like they just stepped off the runway in the latest fashions when arriving for class, others look like they rolled out of bed two minutes before class started. Quite a few of the student on campus come from very wealthy backgrounds, and money is not an issue for them at all. However, there are other students who are at Pepperdine courtesy of scholarships, grants, and loans as well. It's thought that Pepperdine is a pretty conservative campus, but there are plenty of liberal students as well, providing a bit of contrast, though most students seem to not be extremely interested in politics.

They are usually focused on academics and are nice people to work with.

My classmates at Pepperdine are some of the brightest and most highly motivated students in the nation, in addition to being extremely optimistic about life and, in some cases, very optimistic about God and His presence in their lives.