Executive MBA

Executive MBA at Pepperdine University

Private university ยท Malibu, California

  • AACSB accredited
  • MBA
  • Online MBA
  • Executive MBA
  • Part-Time MBA

Pepperdine University is a private university with graduate business programs in Malibu, California. Those programs run through the Graziadio Business School. The institution is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.

The business school holds AACSB accreditation. It is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States, and it covers the school as a whole rather than any one program - a floor, not a ranking. More on accreditation.

Federal reporting puts graduate enrollment at 5,423 students, alongside 3,553 undergraduates. Total enrollment is not MBA cohort size - ask the admissions office how many students are in the specific program you're considering, which is usually a far smaller number and the one that shapes your experience.

Based on MBA Lab's directory data, the school offers a graduate MBA path, an online MBA format for remote or working students, an executive MBA (EMBA) format designed for experienced professionals, and a part-time or evening MBA format for students who keep working. That puts it among the 2 of 16 schools in MBA Lab's California directory listing an online MBA. Format availability changes; confirm the current lineup with the school before planning around it.

It is the only school in Malibu in this directory - the other 7 executive MBA options in California are elsewhere in the state, so weigh travel time against fit before ruling them out.

What to ask Pepperdine University

These questions are picked from what MBA Lab's data already says about this school, so they're the ones most likely to surface a real difference between it and the next school on your list.

  • Published price vs. actual price. Private institutions like Pepperdine University often discount heavily through merit aid, so the sticker figure is rarely what admitted students pay. Ask what share of the incoming class receives institutional aid and the median award.
  • What "online" means here. Ask whether classes are live at set times or self-paced, whether any on-campus residencies are required, and whether online students get the same career services, clubs, and recruiting access as on-campus students. These answers vary widely between schools that use the same word.
  • Cohort experience level. An EMBA's value is largely the room. Ask for the average years of work experience, the seniority mix, and how many classmates are employer-sponsored - a cohort of directors and a cohort of five-years-in analysts are different products at the same price.
  • Pace flexibility. Ask how long students typically take, whether you can drop to one class during a heavy work quarter without penalty, and how late evening sections actually run against your commute from work.
  • Where the degree is administered. Programs run through the Graziadio Business School may have their own admissions timeline, aid pool, and career office, separate from the university's central graduate school. Confirm which office owns your application.
  • Ask for the school's own outcome numbers. The federal figures on this page cover business master's graduates who took federal aid, pooled across several years. The school's employment report will be narrower and more current - ask for it by program and by graduating class, not a blended average.

At a glance

InstitutionPepperdine University
Business schoolGraziadio Business School
Controlprivate
LocationMalibu, California
Campus settingLarge suburb
Carnegie classDoctoral university
MBA formats listed MBA Online MBA Executive MBA Part-Time MBA
Graduate enrollment5,423
Undergraduate enrollment3,553
Business accreditation AACSB — view listing
Institutional accreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Official site Visit website
Net price calculator Estimate your cost
Federal data College Scorecard profile

School names, locations, and program formats are curated by MBA Lab and reviewed periodically (last data update: August 2026). Enrollment, accreditation, links, and any outcome figures come from U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Always verify formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. How this data works.

Programs at Pepperdine University

Details below come from Pepperdine University's own program pages, not from a ranking service or an aggregator. Each card links to the page it was read from and the date it was last checked, so you can confirm anything before you plan around it.

Executive MBA

Executive MBA
$153,150
  • Length 19 months
  • Credits 45
  • Delivery In person
  • Meets About once every three weeks
What that price is$30,630 per term (flat rate covering 7-12 units per trimester; a $3,405/unit rate applies to units outside that range) - estimated total of $153,150 across the program's five trimesters, computed from the stated per-term rate since no lump-sum total is published. Year 1 alone (3 terms) is stated directly as $91,890. Tuition rises about 3-6% annually each fall, so later trimesters likely cost more than this estimate assumes - confirm the current rate directly.
On lengthFive trimesters
Class scheduleAbout once every three weeks, rotating among West Los Angeles, Irvine, and Malibu

Presidents and Key Executives MBA

Executive MBA
  • Length 15 months
  • Credits 38
  • Delivery In person
  • Meets About once a month
On lengthFour trimesters - a separate, shorter EMBA track for more senior candidates than the standard Executive MBA
Class scheduleAbout once a month

Online MBA

Online MBA
$2,115 per credit
  • Length 15 months
  • Credits 52
  • Delivery Online, with optional in-person and hybrid evening course options; one required 3-day in-person immersion at program start
  • Meets Three start terms per year — Fall, Spring, Summer
What that price is$2,115 per unit, 2026-2027 rate. Program requires 52 units; the school publishes only a Year 1 estimate (25 units), not a locked program total, and flags a 3-6% annual increase on remaining units, so no TotalTuition is reported.
Estimated degree costAbout $109,980 at the resident rate for all 52 credits - tuition only, before fees the school bills separately. Confirm with the program.
On length15 months is the standard advertised full-pace completion time; flexible pacing allows up to 7 years. 15 courses plus 1 immersion.

Part-Time MBA

Part-Time MBA
$2,115 per credit
  • Length 24 months
  • Credits 52
  • Delivery Hybrid — in-person and online, transition-capable; campuses at West LA, Calabasas, and Irvine plus online
  • Meets Fall, Spring, and Summer start terms
What that price is$2,115 per unit, same 2026-2027 rate table as the Online MBA. No locked program total published (Year 1 estimate only, ~3-6% annual increase in later years), so TotalTuition is omitted rather than guessed.
Estimated degree costAbout $109,980 at the resident rate for all 52 credits - tuition only, before fees the school bills separately. Confirm with the program.
On length24 months typical at a minimum of 8 units/trimester; flexible pacing up to 7 years. Accelerated 40-unit Fast Track completes in 20 months.
Class scheduleFoundational classes generally Mon-Thu evenings plus a Saturday workshop; electives via weekly in-person, select Saturdays, or weekly online

Reported outcomes

Median earnings, 1 year out $112,068 Median of 406 graduates working one year after completion +28% vs. the $87,219 median across MBA Lab's directory
Median earnings, 4 years out $141,949 Median of 450 graduates working four years after completion +27% against the 1-year figure - two separate cohorts measured at different times, not one group's career path
Median federal graduate debt $97,638 Median across 375 borrowers entering repayment About 0.87x the 1-year earnings median. Federal loans only - private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings aren't counted

Among the 7 schools in MBA Lab's California executive MBA programs directory that report a figure, Pepperdine University ranks 5th by one-year earnings. Schools that report nothing are left out of that count rather than counted as zero.

What these numbers are. Figures cover graduates of master's-level programs in Business Administration, Management and Operations (CIP 52.02) who received federal financial aid. At some institutions that group includes business master's degrees other than the MBA, and it never includes graduates who took no federal aid - so these are a directional signal about a school's business master's programs, not an MBA salary report. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Check Pepperdine University's Scorecard profile. Full methodology.

Want to see what these figures could mean for your own timeline? Try the free MBA ROI calculator, prefilled with Pepperdine University's context.

Compare with other schools in California

School City AACSB Formats listed Earnings, 1 yr out
Pepperdine University This page Malibu Yes MBA, Online MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $112,068
University of California, Berkeley Berkeley Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA Not reported
University of California, Irvine Irvine Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $119,774
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $172,128
University of California, San Diego San Diego Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $98,870
University of Southern California Los Angeles Yes MBA, Online MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $132,668
Santa Clara University Santa Clara Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $140,238
University of San Francisco San Francisco Yes MBA, Executive MBA $98,785

"Not reported" means College Scorecard publishes no figure for that school - usually too few federally-aided graduates to release without identifying them. It is not a low number, and these schools are excluded from every average on this page rather than counted as zero. A dash under AACSB means the school isn't on AACSB's accredited list; it may hold ACBSP or IACBE accreditation instead, which this directory doesn't track.

This school in other directories

Frequently asked questions

What MBA formats does Pepperdine University offer?

MBA Lab's directory lists an online MBA, an executive MBA, and a part-time MBA at Pepperdine University, alongside the core MBA. Formats change - confirm the current lineup on the school's official site.

How much does the Executive MBA at Pepperdine University cost?

Pepperdine University lists $153,150 for the Executive MBA. $30,630 per term (flat rate covering 7-12 units per trimester; a $3,405/unit rate applies to units outside that range) - estimated total of $153,150 across the program's five trimesters, computed from the stated per-term rate since no lump-sum total is published. Year 1 alone (3 terms) is stated directly as $91,890. Tuition rises about 3-6% annually each fall, so later trimesters likely cost more than this estimate assumes - confirm the current rate directly. Checked against the school's own page on July 27, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the Executive MBA at Pepperdine University, and when does it meet?

The Executive MBA takes about 19 months, requires 45 credits, and is delivered in person. Five trimesters. Classes meet: About once every three weeks, rotating among West Los Angeles, Irvine, and Malibu

How long is the Presidents and Key Executives MBA at Pepperdine University, and when does it meet?

The Presidents and Key Executives MBA takes about 15 months, requires 38 credits, and is delivered in person. Four trimesters - a separate, shorter EMBA track for more senior candidates than the standard Executive MBA. Classes meet: About once a month

How much does the Online MBA at Pepperdine University cost?

Pepperdine University lists $2,115 per credit for the Online MBA. $2,115 per unit, 2026-2027 rate. Program requires 52 units; the school publishes only a Year 1 estimate (25 units), not a locked program total, and flags a 3-6% annual increase on remaining units, so no TotalTuition is reported. Across all 52 credits that is roughly $109,980 in tuition, before separately billed fees. Checked against the school's own page on July 27, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the Online MBA at Pepperdine University, and when does it meet?

The Online MBA takes about 15 months and requires 52 credits. 15 months is the standard advertised full-pace completion time; flexible pacing allows up to 7 years. 15 courses plus 1 immersion.

How much does the Part-Time MBA at Pepperdine University cost?

Pepperdine University lists $2,115 per credit for the Part-Time MBA. $2,115 per unit, same 2026-2027 rate table as the Online MBA. No locked program total published (Year 1 estimate only, ~3-6% annual increase in later years), so TotalTuition is omitted rather than guessed. Across all 52 credits that is roughly $109,980 in tuition, before separately billed fees. Checked against the school's own page on July 27, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the Part-Time MBA at Pepperdine University, and when does it meet?

The Part-Time MBA takes about 24 months and requires 52 credits. 24 months typical at a minimum of 8 units/trimester; flexible pacing up to 7 years. Accelerated 40-unit Fast Track completes in 20 months. Classes meet: Foundational classes generally Mon-Thu evenings plus a Saturday workshop; electives via weekly in-person, select Saturdays, or weekly online

What do graduates of Pepperdine University's business master's programs earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of $112,068 one year after completion for graduates of master's-level Business Administration programs at Pepperdine University who received federal financial aid. Four years out the reported median is $141,949. That group can include business master's degrees other than the MBA, and excludes graduates who took no federal aid, so treat it as a directional signal rather than an MBA salary figure.

How much debt do students take on at Pepperdine University?

The reported median federal graduate debt is $97,638 for business master's graduates at Pepperdine University. Against the reported one-year earnings median, that is about 0.87x a year of earnings. Federal loans are only part of the cost picture - it excludes private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings.

Is Pepperdine University's business school AACSB-accredited?

Yes - Pepperdine University appears on AACSB's list of accredited institutions. AACSB, founded in 1916, is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States (the others are ACBSP and IACBE). Accreditation covers the school, not any individual program, so treat it as a quality floor rather than a ranking.

Is Pepperdine University a public or private institution?

Pepperdine University is a private university, and MBA Lab lists its graduate business programs in Malibu, California. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.

How do I compare Pepperdine University with other schools in California?

MBA Lab lists 8 schools in its California executive MBA programs directory. Use a consistent rubric across them: curriculum, recruiting outcomes, format fit, cost after aid, and location constraints.

Where should I verify program details?

Always confirm formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. MBA Lab is a planning directory, not an admissions authority, and does not endorse specific schools.

Starting an MBA team project?

MBA Lab keeps your team's projects, tasks, deadlines, and deliverables in one place—built for student teams, free to start.

Get started

Deciding if it's worth it? Try the free MBA ROI calculator →

Want to grow as a leader while you're at it? Explore Leadership Lab →