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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Law doctoral degree at Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA · Private nonprofit

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are notably above similar programs.

$21,043 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff
$158,903 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+59%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$79,243 → $125,875
263Earn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
217Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
284Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
183Recent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

362Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
124Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
299Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
297Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$54,534Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$126,561$72,027 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: Parent PLUS not reported · 266 Grad PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

THIS LAW SCHOOL · ABA 2025

Price, employment and first-year attrition

These are Pepperdine University’s school-level J.D. disclosures, not a national estimate. Tuition is the published annual charge plus required annual fees before grants.

$73,550Annual tuition and feesResident rate where applicable
93.4%Employed about 10 months later171 of 183 graduates
93.4%Full-time, long-term legal workBar-required or J.D.-advantage positions
8.0%First-year academic attritionReported as percentage points by the ABA
Living-cost budget$33,700Off campus
Tuition guaranteeNot reportedDoes not describe scholarships or individual aid.

Source: ABA Required Disclosures, reporting year 2025. These figures remain separate from College Scorecard earnings, debt and DegreeVerdict ROI.

GRADUATE-DEGREE BASELINE

$126,561 vs. $142,745

$16,184 below the national bachelor’s median in the same field.

Comparison basis1 bachelor’s program records

This is a cross-cohort benchmark, not the salary increase caused by earning this graduate credential. Your current earnings remain the correct baseline for personal ROI.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$58,098

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$126,561

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$58,098Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$93,512Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE62.9%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE83.4%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$79,243Year 1
$126,561Year 4
$125,875Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$10,547
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$126,561 vs. $105,518

$21,043 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Lawyers$195,080 median wageCA estimate · 95,770 jobs · 23-1011$131,120–$277,140 middle 50% of CA wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 28,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeJudges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990 median wageU.S. estimate · 24,030 jobs · 23-1023+2.8% projected U.S. growth · 800 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeLaw Teachers, Postsecondary$119,540 median wageCA estimate · 7,800 jobs · 25-1112$88,710–$169,570 middle 50% of CA wages+2.6% projected U.S. growth · 1,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeAdministrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860 median wageU.S. estimate · 16,370 jobs · 23-1021+0.0% projected U.S. growth · 500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeArbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$97,680 median wageCA estimate · 9,210 jobs · 23-1022$75,170–$121,670 middle 50% of CA wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeJudicial Law Clerks$79,030 median wageCA estimate · 1,800 jobs · 23-1012$65,740–$82,200 middle 50% of CA wages+2.8% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

San Francisco, CA

University of San Francisco

$16,667 lower annual net price

Earnings
$120,485
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$41,431
View outcomes →
Durham, NC

Duke University

$134,669 higher earnings · $28,486 lower annual net price

Earnings
$261,230
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$29,612
View outcomes →
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University

$133,290 higher earnings · $29,408 lower annual net price

Earnings
$259,851
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$28,690
View outcomes →
New Haven, CT

Yale University

$61,628 higher earnings · $34,321 lower annual net price

Earnings
$188,189
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$23,777
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

284 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →