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Student Success

The OIE analyzes data specifically related to student progress, retention, and graduation. Retention and completion (graduation) rates are common metrics of student success in higher education. The OIE Student Success Dashboard provides an overview of Pepperdine student success rates in comparison to Pepperdine's peer schools.

 

Student Success Tables

Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates

Graduate Student Graduation Rates

Seaver Faulty in Classroom

Dashboards

Student Success

Historical and Peer Comparisons

How Do Waves Describe Student Success? 

graduation

The OIE Student Success Survey is an annual survey distributed to Pepperdine students during the fall term. The OIE draws a random sample from each Pepperdine school, except for the School of Public Policy and Pepperdine College of Health Science, in which all students are invited to participate. Participants are asked to describe “student success” in their own words. Below are selected quotes from students by school.   

 

Waves' Words | Describe Student SuccessOIE Student Success Survey, 2021

"Student success is when a student achieves academic excellence, as well as a well-rounded extracurricular life, and is content with their spiritual well-being."

"Student success means to me a good balance in life with meals, friends, spare time, and academics, along with a good relationship with God!"

Source: OIE Student Success Survey, 2025.

"Student success is the ability to think critically, to use reasonable methods to evaluate information and draw truthful conclusions, and to develop a never-ending search for more knowledge and understanding about the world."

"When I hear “student success,” I think of feeling fulfilled by the work I’m doing and knowing I’ve given my best effort every time.  It’s about growth, consistency, and taking pride in what I do."

Source: OIE Student Success Survey, 2025.

"The ability to perform socially, occupationally, and academically upon leaving the university."

"Being able to learn what's needed to become a successful contributor to one's field and able to find a good job."

Source: OIE Student Success Survey, 2025.

"Student success includes not only an academic mastery of a wide range of topics but also the ability and desire to implement these topics to create meaningful change in the lives of others."

"Understanding one's calling and building a foundation for the future through the educational experience and the Pepperdine family of faculty, staff, and alumni."

Source: OIE Student Success Survey, 2025.

"Student success is the process by which students feel challenged and stretched by coursework/new ideas and extracurricular activities, but is given the resources and support needed to flourish academically."

"Student success means to me how much a student takes away from their education that they can apply to their future lives."

Source: OIE Student Success Survey, 2025.

"A student's preparedness, knowledge base, and confidence to execute the information taught in real-world applications."

"Student success is accomplishment in their goals and confidence in their skills and knowledge, with the ability to perform highly in their areas of study."

Source: OIE Student Success Survey, 2025.

 

How Do Faculty Describe Student Success? 

The HERI Faculty Survey is a triennial national survey offered through UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). All Pepperdine faculty are invited to participate in the survey. The survey provides information on pedagogical practices, faculty goals and expectations, research and service activities, sources of stress and satisfaction, and the connection between learning in the classroom and practices in the local and global community. Participants were also asked to describe “student success” in their own words, and the word cloud here displays the key words from Pepperdine faculty replies to the HERI 2023 survey. 

 

 

Decorative image with an orange gradient background behind a graduation cap with an overlay of the word "Development."

 

Did You Know?

Did you know that Pepperdine students, faculty, and alumni all describe student success predominantly in relation to developing new knowledge/skills?