Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Saint Mary's College of California, Lewis & Clark College, Pepperdine University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Saint Mary'sMoraga, CA | Lewis & ClarkPortland, OR | Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 86.5% | 78.5% | 62.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedSaint Mary's College of California reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | Not reportedLewis & Clark College reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1290–1450 |
| Average net price | $30,37826.7% on Pell grants | $36,01320.3% on Pell grants | $58,09820.3% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $57,803Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $64,828Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $69,918Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 70.3% | 75.4% | 83.4% |
| First-year retention | 85.4% | 88.8% | 87.6% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 26.7% | 20.3% | 20.3% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $78,812 | $62,205 | $82,939 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,691 | $19,500 | $23,510 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 10:1 | 12:1 | 13:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,947 | 2,120 | 3,553 |
| Consensus percentile | 38Lower is better | 42Lower is better | 32Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 60 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 59 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 54 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Saint Mary's | Lewis & Clark | Pepperdine University |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #6 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 | #103 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #84 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #324 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #371 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #123 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #234 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1069 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #145 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #1125 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #713 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #437 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Saint Mary's College of California on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Lewis & Clark College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Pepperdine University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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