Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's SAT midpoint is 108 points higher than Pepperdine's

    SAT midpoint
  2. 2

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admits 63% vs. 67% at Pepperdine

    Acceptance rate
  3. 3

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's yield is 0 pts higher than Pepperdine's

    Yield rate

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute63%
Pepperdine67%
Applicants
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute17.2K
Pepperdine14.2K
Admitted
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute10.9K
Pepperdine9.6K
Yield rate
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute12%
Pepperdine12%

Quad's selectivity

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteVery selective
  • PepperdineSelective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute60%
Pepperdine62%
Men admitted
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute65%
Pepperdine65%

Test scores

SAT total,

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1375–1510
Pepperdine
1240–1410

Axis runs 1100–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
30–34
Pepperdine
28–32

Axis runs 24–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute49%
Pepperdine17%
Submitted ACT
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute11%
Pepperdine8%

Test policy

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTest-optional
  • PepperdineTest-optional

How they read a record

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

    GPA, the high school record, class rank, and a college-prep program are required.

  • Pepperdine

    and GPA are both very important; tests are considered. 34% of first-years who sent test scores had a 3.75 or higher.

What they look at

FactorRensselaer Polytechnic InstitutePepperdine
High school GPA RequiredVery important
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank RequiredNot considered
College-prep program RequiredNot considered
Recommendations RequiredImportant
Essay RequiredVery important
Legacy status Not consideredNot considered
Work experience ConsideredConsidered
Demonstration of competencies RequiredNot considered
English proficiency test RequiredRequired
Other tests Not consideredNot considered
All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;Pepperdine University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;Pepperdine University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Pepperdine University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicantsAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why