Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law
regular Feb 1, 2027 · final Apr 1, 2027
0 of 6 required items complete· next deadline in 107 days
Your numbers against the class of 2025
This is a comparison against published numbers, not a prediction. Admissions committees weigh essays, letters, and experience that no percentile captures.
4,272 applications, 998 offers, 227 enrolled · Verified 2026-08-17 · view source
What it costs, how graduates fare
- Tuition2025-26
$72,920 full-time · plus $630 annual fees
Living expenses $33,700 on campus
Tuition and the fees the school certifies alongside it — not a full cost of attendance.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- Bar passageclass of 2025
90.7%first-time+8.3
82.4% is the average for all ABA-accredited schools’ graduates in the same jurisdictions this school’s graduates sat in · 166 of 183 first-time takers passed
96.3% of the class of 2023 were admitted within two years of graduating
A pass rate on its own says as much about which states a school feeds as about the school, so the ABA’s own like-for-like average is shown with it.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA bar passage report
- Employmentclass of 2025
168 of 183 (91.8%) in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission
Ten months after graduation · 3 more in JD-advantage jobs · 0 still seeking · 3 of the bar-admission jobs are funded by the school
The ABA collects employment status and job type only. It collects no salary, so no salary figure comes from this filing.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA employment summary
- First-year attrition2024-25
8.0% of the first-year class · 15 students
No law school publishes a graduation rate, so this is not one. It is the students who left in their first year, academic and other, as filed. Transfers out are reported separately and are not counted here.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- EarningsCollege Scorecard
Not a starting salary.
$79,243 median one year after finishing · $126,561 after four
$105,518 is the national median at four years for the same credential
A College Scorecard median for 2017-18 and 2018-19 completers who received federal aid, measured a fixed number of years after they finished — not what this year’s graduates are being paid, and not a figure the school or the ABA publishes. The ABA collects no salary data at all.
Verified 2026-08-27 · College Scorecard
Essays
- Personal statementRequired · 4 pgstart by Jan 11, 2027
Please include a two- to four-page, double-spaced personal statement indicating fully your reasons for wanting to study law, why you chose to apply to Pepperdine Caruso Law, significant extracurricular and/or civic activities, and any further information that you feel should be considered by the Admissions Committee.
Notes & source
Two to four double-spaced pages. Per the admissions FAQ (law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/juris-doctor/faq.htm), no less than 12-point font; 'The best personal statements are clear, concise, and compelling and free from spelling and grammatical errors.' The prompt itself asks why the applicant chose to apply to Pepperdine Caruso Law, so the why-Pepperdine element is folded into the personal statement rather than being a separate essay.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 2 pgschool-specificstart by Jan 25, 2027
Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Caruso Law's dedication to our Christian mission drives a deep desire to embody and imbue in our students the highest standards of ethics and morality. We are proud to have a strong Christian faculty that also includes several professors from other faiths. We welcome students of all faiths, as well as students who are not part of any faith tradition. Our complete mission and vision can be found here. Please share how you would contribute to this unique community.
Notes & source
'#1 Christian Mission' — first of two 'Optional Statements'; applicants 'may choose to respond to either or both prompts' to describe the contribution they would make to the Pepperdine Caruso Law community. This is the school's faith-related application component, quoted verbatim; the prompt itself states that students of all faiths, and students who are not part of any faith tradition, are welcome. In the prompt, 'found here' is a hyperlink to the school's mission and vision page (law.pepperdine.edu/about/our-story/mission/). Per the admissions FAQ (law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/juris-doctor/faq.htm), an optional statement should be one to two double-spaced pages with no less than 12-point font.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- Perspective statementOptional · 2 pgstart by Jan 18, 2027
Pepperdine Caruso Law is a community of belonging with students, faculty, and staff with different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. We are committed to creating a culture in which each person’s voice and convictions enhance our shared community. Please share with the Admissions Committee how your background, life experiences, and perspective have shaped your courage, determination, and character and ability to contribute uniquely to the culture of the Pepperdine Caruso Law community.
Notes & source
'#2 Background, Life Experience, and Perspective' — second of two 'Optional Statements'; applicants may respond to either or both prompts. Per the admissions FAQ (law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/juris-doctor/faq.htm), an optional statement should be one to two double-spaced pages with no less than 12-point font.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- AddendumOptionalstart by Jan 29, 2027
Notes & source
Per the admissions FAQ: 'if an applicant feels that they wish to share information with the Admissions Committee that is not included in the required documents, an addendum will be accepted.' Addenda can be emailed to lawadmis@pepperdine.edu to be uploaded to the application. No length limit is published. Separately, the application-requirements page (law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/juris-doctor/application-requirements.htm) requires a detailed written explanation for an affirmative answer to any character and fitness question, and imposes an ongoing duty to disclose material changes (especially criminal or disciplinary conduct matters) to the Dean of Admissions before enrollment.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
Letters & documents
- Letter of recommendation (1 of 2)Requiredstart by Jan 4, 2027
Notes & source
Two letters are required, 'furnished by those individuals who can best assess your ability to succeed in law school. When possible, at least one of the recommendations should be provided by a faculty member with whom you pursued your undergraduate studies. Relatives should not be asked to submit recommendations.' Per the admissions FAQ (law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/juris-doctor/faq.htm), letters are submitted to LSAC, up to four are accepted, and the committee recommends at least one academic and one professional recommendation.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- Letter of recommendation (2 of 2)Requiredstart by Jan 4, 2027
Notes & source
Two letters are required, 'furnished by those individuals who can best assess your ability to succeed in law school. When possible, at least one of the recommendations should be provided by a faculty member with whom you pursued your undergraduate studies. Relatives should not be asked to submit recommendations.' Per the admissions FAQ (law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/juris-doctor/faq.htm), letters are submitted to LSAC, up to four are accepted, and the committee recommends at least one academic and one professional recommendation.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- RésuméRequiredstart by Jan 25, 2027
Notes & source
Required. Site wording: 'Please attach to your application for admission a resumé, including a record of employment, scholastic honors, extracurricular activities, and community involvement.' No page limit is published.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- Transcripts via LSAC CASRequiredstart by Jan 11, 2027
Notes & source
Registration with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is required; per the FAQ page's LSAT/GRE section, a CAS report is required from all applicants regardless of whether they take the GRE, the LSAT, or both. All applicants must have received a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to law school registration. Visa holders must also submit an International Student Data Form. After accepting an offer, incoming 1L students must have an official transcript showing the degree and conferral date sent directly to the school by October 1; transcripts sent via LSAC during the application fulfill this only if the degree is posted.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- LSAT or GRERequiredstart by Dec 3, 2026
Notes & source
'Pepperdine Caruso Law is currently accepting the LSAT, LSAT Flex and GRE.' A standardized test is recommended by March of the year admission is sought; the admissions FAQ (law.pepperdine.edu/admissions/juris-doctor/faq.htm) urges the LSAT no later than April, notes LSAT scores are valid up to five years, and says the committee evaluates the highest LSAT score without averaging (all scores are seen). No numerical cutoffs are used. GRE: only official ETS score reports are accepted (recipient 'Pepperdine University', school code 4371); evaluation averages the Verbal and Quantitative 'Percent Below' values and compares the average to the school's median LSAT percentile; if both GRE and LSAT scores are submitted, both are evaluated; a GRE score is only seen if sent, while all valid LSAT scores arrive automatically via CAS. Applicants may apply without a reportable score, but the application remains incomplete until a score is reported.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
Administrative
- InterviewOptionalat submission
Notes & source
No interviews. Per the admissions FAQ: 'No, interviews are not part of the application process. Those who serve on the Admissions Committee remain anonymous.' Applicants are instead encouraged to visit campus during the admissions process.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
- Application feeOptionalat submission
Notes & source
The application-requirements page lists 'A non-refundable application fee - Waived for the 2027 application', so no fee is due this cycle; the page does not publish the amount. The school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report also lists the application fee as $0.00.
Verified 2026-08-17 · source page
Every item above was verified against law.pepperdine.edu on 2026-08-17. Expand any item for its own source. Always confirm against the school before you submit — and if we have something wrong, report an error.