Pepperdine University vs University of California—Davis

This page compares Pepperdine University and University of California—Davis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 23 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 23 applicants admitted to both schools, 87% chose to attend University of California—Davis. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.

In the U.S. News rankings, University of California—Davis is ranked #50 compared to #55 — a gap of 5 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

Both schools are located in California — Pepperdine University in Malibu and University of California—Davis in Davis — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.

Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of California—Davis places 26.3% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 11.7% for the other school. This 15 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

On cost, University of California—Davis has lower tuition at $57,460 per year compared to $72,920. Combined with employment rates of 93.9% (Pepperdine University) and 89.3% (UCD), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.