Pepperdine University is a private research university in Malibu, California, founded in 1937 by George Pepperdine and affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It combines a genuinely Christian mission with California's most beautiful university campus and selective academic programs including an excellent law school.
Pepperdine was founded by George Pepperdine, a Churches of Christ member, with an explicit Christian mission. The university requires Old and New Testament courses for all undergraduates, maintains chapel programs, and integrates its Churches of Christ heritage throughout student life. Pepperdine's stated mission explicitly grounds the university in Christian faith.
The Churches of Christ affiliation brings a specific theological heritage — a cappella worship, conservative sexual ethics historically, and a congregational church polity. Pepperdine reflects this heritage more moderately than a school like Harding University but more distinctively than a nominally affiliated school.
Pepperdine Caruso School of Law is consistently ranked among the top 50 law schools in America with strong programs in entertainment and media law, dispute resolution, and international law. The Graziadio Business School has strong MBA programs. The Malibu campus and Los Angeles market access provide excellent internship and career opportunities in entertainment, business, and law.
Pepperdine's California location means its campus culture is significantly more cosmopolitan than Midwest evangelical schools. Students come from diverse backgrounds and the surrounding culture is secular Southern California. This context tests Christian formation differently than an insulated rural campus. Students who thrive at Pepperdine typically have a mature, confident faith ready for cultural engagement.
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