Pepperdine University School of Public Policy

What Pepperdine University School of Public Policy does

Pepperdine University School of Public Policy (SPP) is a graduate-level professional school within Pepperdine University, a private nonprofit Christian university headquartered on the Malibu, California campus. Founded circa 2000 (with firmographic data also citing 1997), SPP offers the Master of Public Policy (MPP) as its flagship degree along with the more recently launched Master of Middle East Policy Studies (MMEPS), joint degrees (e.g., MPP/JD with Pepperdine Caruso School of Law), professional certificates, and a Washington DC Track. The school is organized around a portfolio of branded research and training institutes, including the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership, the Energy Lab, the Grand Strategy Lab, the Alternative Viewpoints on California Policy initiative (with Beacon Economics), and the Viewpoint Diversity Initiative. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees for its graduate programs, supplemented by financial aid and scholarships, executive and continuing education (notably the Professional Engagement Certificate and Applied AI in Government training through the Davenport Institute), and external research partnerships. Customer segments include U.S. and international graduate students targeting careers in government, policy-related business, and the nonprofit sector, with the school reporting an 89% Class of 2025 employment or further education rate and a placement mix of 44% public sector, 25% private sector, 19% nonprofit, and 12% further education. SPP delivers through a multi-channel GTM: a direct-to-consumer model using its website, online request forms, campus visits, email, social media, and events, alongside strategic partnerships with ICMA, Cal-ICMA, PIT-UN, Beacon Economics, and the Rupe Foundation. The school is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission and maintains WCAG 2.1 AA, Title IX, CCPA/CPRA, and GDPR compliance.

Name

Pepperdine University School of Public Policy

Legal name

Pepperdine University

Website

https://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pepperdine University School of Public Policy is a graduate school within Pepperdine University offering the Master of Public Policy, Master of Middle East Policy Studies, and certificates, serving U.S. and international students preparing for careers in government, policy, and the nonprofit sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education — Public Policy Graduate Programs

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Policy, Public Administration & Nonprofit Management Schools (within Business Schools) (EDAHAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA), Government & Public Affairs (External Relations) (EDALAOAJ), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)

Keywords

• Graduate public policy education
• Master of public policy
• Policy professional certificates
• Civic engagement research
• International policy studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Malibu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from graduate program tuition including Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Middle East Policy Studies (MMEPS) degree programs. Financial aid, scholarships, and loans are available to support student enrollment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pepperdine University School of Public Policy delivers graduate-level education in public policy and international affairs. Its core sellable offerings are the Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree, the Master of Middle East Policy Studies (MMEPS) degree, joint degree programs with other Pepperdine schools, and a Professional Engagement Certificate. Supporting institutes such as the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership provide applied civic-leadership programming embedded in the curriculum.

Product overview

The Pepperdine School of Public Policy offers a portfolio of graduate degree programs centered on its Master of Public Policy (MPP) as the primary offering, supplemented by the Master of Middle East Policy Studies and joint degree options. The school operates through distinct branded institutes (Davenport Institute, Energy Lab, Grand Strategy Lab) that conduct research and provide professional training, alongside academic programs like Professional Certificates and the DC Track. These components integrate through the Policy Seminar capstone requirement, where MPP students apply learning from their specialization tracks and institute research to real-world policy challenges, creating a cohesive academic experience that combines theoretical foundations with practical policy application.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Public Policy (MPP)

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of Class of 2025 graduates fully employed or advanced to further education

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beacon EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Alternative Viewpoints on California Policy research initiative. Through collaboration on white papers, Beacon Economics' team and the School of Public Policy's academic researchers and graduate students explore vital California policy issues from different perspectives to drive balanced debates.
• International City/County Management Association (ICMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Davenport Institute is the on-campus sponsor of the Pepperdine University Student Chapter of ICMA. ICMA is the professional and educational association for appointed local government administrators worldwide, providing networking opportunities with local government administrators in California and across the country.
• California International City Manager Association (Cal-ICMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Local Government in Residence Initiative, originally introduced as the City Manager in Residence program as part of Cal-ICMA's effort to offer students graduate public policy education opportunities.
• Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with PIT-UN demonstrates the school's commitment to exploring technology's role in government and public policy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy: Berkeley Goldman is a top MPP program on the West Coast offering policy analysis, management, and social welfare concentrations, directly competing for California-resident applicants and government placement outcomes.
• University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy: Harris offers MPP and MA in public policy with a rigorous quantitative economics foundation, closely mirroring Pepperdine SPP's quantitative analytics curriculum and DC/global career placement model.
• Claremont Graduate University School of Social Science, Policy & Evaluation: CGU offers policy-focused graduate degrees in the Southern California region, directly competing with Pepperdine SPP for the same LA-area graduate student market and policy research talent.
• USC Sol Price School of Public Policy: USC Price offers MPP, MPA, and PhD programs focused on governance, policy analysis, and urban policy, serving the same California market as Pepperdine SPP with overlapping faculty and applicant pool.
• Bush School of Government and Public Service (Texas A&M): Bush School offers MIPP and MPA programs with a strong public service mission across government and nonprofit sectors, comparable to Pepperdine SPP in mission framing and career outcomes emphasis.
• Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy: Georgetown McCourt is a leading MPP program with strong DC placement and policy analytics focus, comparable in mission (career-launching policy degrees) and competing for the same cohort of policy-career-bound students.
• George Mason Schar School of Policy and Government: George Mason Schar offers MPP, MPA, and PhD programs near the DC policy ecosystem with strong policy analytics and ideologically diverse positioning, mirroring Pepperdine SPP's viewpoint-diversity differentiation and DC placement emphasis.

Others

• RAND Corporation: RAND is a leading policy research think tank with strong California presence and policy analysis focus; an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, sharing policy researchers and the same California policy thought-leadership space.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Kennedy School: Harvard Kennedy School is the dominant global MPP/MPA institution with massive brand, endowment, and alumni network; serves as the upper bound for placement prestige that Pepperdine SPP competes against in applicant mindshare.
• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs: Princeton SPIA offers MPA and policy degrees with a quantitative orientation and elite placement outcomes, serving a similar career-launching purpose as Pepperdine SPP for high-caliber policy aspirants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PepperdineSPP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PepperdineSPP
• Facebookfacebook.com/PepperdineSPP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pepperdine-university-school-of-public-policy
• Instagraminstagram.com/pepperdinespp

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pepperdine University School of Public Policy