Pepperdine University is a medium-sized, independent university enrolling approximately 8,300 students in five colleges and schools. Seaver College, the School of Law, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, the Graziadio School of Business and Management, and the School of Public Policy are located on the University's 830-acre campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu. Courses at Pepperdine University are taught in Malibu, at six graduate campuses in Southern California, and at international campuses in Germany, England, Italy, and Argentina.

Pepperdine University was founded in 1937 by George Pepperdine, a Christian businessman who founded the Western Auto Supply Company. For the first 30 years of its life, the California college was a small, mostly undergraduate school. University status was achieved in 1970 as the California college added graduate and professional schools. In 1972, Pepperdine University opened its new campus in Malibu.