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Pepperdine University

Pepperdine's Malibu campus may be the most scenic in the country — Seaver College climbs a hillside above the Pacific, with the ocean and Pacific Coast Highway spread out below and Mediterranean light year-round. First-years live in suite-style houses on the upper campus, many with ocean views, and Pepperdine requires students to live on campus for their first two years. The climate is mild and dry, so the packing story isn't winter — it's that most halls have no air conditioning (bring a fan), and this is wildfire country, where fire rules are taken seriously.

Move-inMid-August

BedsTwin XL

A/CNone — bring a fan

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The one thing generic lists get wrong

What to wear in Malibu, month by month

This corner of the country breaks every generic packing list. It is not about surviving cold — it is about staying dry through a long gray winter and a famously short, beautiful summer.

Move-in (mid-Aug)	62–82°F	Warm, dry, and bright, cooled by the ocean; no A/C in the halls, so a fan matters. Shorts and tees by day, a layer for cool evenings.
Sept–Oct	60–84°F	Often the warmest, driest stretch — sunny days with the occasional Santa Ana heat spell. Warm-weather clothes and beach gear.
Nov–Dec	48–68°F	Milder days, cooler nights, and the first rains of the wet season. A hoodie and a light rain jacket.
Jan–Mar	46–65°F	The coolest, wettest stretch — green hills and mild temperatures, rarely near cold. A warmer layer and an umbrella.
Apr–Jun	55–72°F	Gray 'May Gray, June Gloom' marine-layer mornings that burn off to afternoon sun. Easy layers.

No winter coat — but definitely a fan: Malibu's climate is mild and dry, so you're packing for warm days and cool, marine-layer evenings, not a real winter. The catch is that most Pepperdine halls have no air conditioning (only Drescher W Block does) and A/C units aren't allowed, so a good fan is essential for warm afternoons and the occasional Santa Ana. Keep window screens in place, take the fire drills seriously — this is wildfire country — and remember the beach is right across the highway, so bring the gear for it.

Straight from the housing office

What Pepperdine University lets you bring

✓ Bring it

A box or tower fan — most Pepperdine halls have no air conditioning (only Drescher W Block does) and A/C units aren't allowed, so a fan is essential for warm days and Santa Ana spells
A light rain jacket and an umbrella — Malibu's winters are the rainy season, but the rest of the year is dry
Beach and outdoor gear — the Pacific is across PCH and Zuma Beach is minutes away; the ocean is a normal weekend, not a special trip
Layers and a warm hoodie for cool evenings — coastal nights and marine-layer mornings are chilly even when the days are warm
Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics

✕ Leave it home

Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
Halogen lamps
Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
Air conditioners of any kind — they aren't permitted (only Drescher W Block is air-conditioned); a fan is the alternative, and window screens must stay in place
Candles, incense, halogen lamps, and anything with an open flame — wildfire country takes fire rules seriously
Hot plates, toaster ovens, and open-coil cookers outside the kitchen areas
Pets other than fish in a small tank (approved service/assistance animals aside)

These come from Pepperdine University's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.

Before you can move in

Getting your room at Pepperdine University

01
May 1
Apply for housing
The housing application opens May 1 for incoming Seaver students. Complete it once you've enrolled — first-years are required to live on campus with a meal plan for two years.
02
By June 1
Build your roommate group
Create a roommate group of up to four people (two pairs) or complete your profile for matching by the June 1 (5 p.m. PDT) deadline. First-years live in the suite-style houses on the upper campus.
03
Summer
Get your assignment and meal plan
Housing posts your suite, room, roommate(s), mailbox, and move-in date over the summer; if you don't choose a meal plan, a default plan is assigned.
04
Mid-August
Move in for New Student Orientation
First-year move-in falls in mid-August (around August 17–18) at an assigned time, leading straight into New Student Orientation before classes begin.

The actual buildings

Where you'll live at Pepperdine University

Where first-years live

Pepperdine requires students to live on campus for their first two years (with a meal plan), and first-years live in the suite-style houses on the upper campus — clusters of rooms that share a common living room and bathrooms, many with Pacific views. You can build a roommate group of up to four. Most halls aren't air-conditioned, so a fan is a must.

Suite-style houses (first-year)Ocean views · suites

The first-year living area on the hillside above the main campus — suites where several double rooms share a common living room and bathrooms, arranged around courtyards, many looking out over the Pacific. The heart of first-year life.

Roommate groupsUp to four

You can form a roommate group of up to four (two pairs) to live together in the same suite, or let Housing match you using your profile. Deciding early — by the June 1 deadline — gives you the most say in where and with whom you live.

Rockwell Towers & Seaside HallSophomore year

Where many students move as second-years — Rockwell Towers' single-gender double rooms and the newer Seaside Hall — worth knowing, since Pepperdine's residency requirement keeps you on campus for two years.

Drescher W BlockThe one with A/C

The rare air-conditioned option on campus (upper-division housing). Everywhere else relies on ocean breeze and fans — a real consideration when you pack.

The stuff nobody puts in one place

Malibu logistics, sorted

How to send a package to a Pepperdine student

[Student Full Name]
c/o Pepperdine University Central Receiving
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263

On-campus students get a campus mailbox at move-in. For ground shipments (FedEx/UPS), address items to your student's name, c/o Pepperdine University Central Receiving, Malibu, CA 90263 (310-506-6293); U.S. Mail and packages go through University Mail Services (310-506-4293). Don't ship anything to arrive before your move-in date.

Most halls have no A/C — bring a fan

Only Drescher W Block is air-conditioned, and personal A/C units aren't allowed — but portable fans are, as long as the window screen stays in. Malibu's ocean breeze makes that workable most of the year; a fan handles the warm afternoons and the occasional Santa Ana.

A two-year residency requirement — and wildfire country

Pepperdine requires first- and second-years to live on campus with a meal plan, so you're here two years. The campus also sits in the Santa Monica Mountains, where wildfire is a real risk — Pepperdine has a well-drilled shelter-in-place plan, and fire rules (no candles or open flame, screens in windows) are strict for good reason.

Beyond the campus gates

Malibu & around

Right there

Malibu beaches & the Getty Villa

Zuma, Surfrider, and Point Dume beaches are minutes up and down PCH, and the Getty Villa is just down the coast — the Pacific is a normal weekend, not a trip.

Nearby

Cross Creek & the Malibu Country Mart

Malibu's small commercial heart — the Country Mart and Cross Creek shops, cafés, and a grocery store — is the closest spot for errands and a meal off campus.

The city

Santa Monica & Los Angeles

Santa Monica's pier and Third Street are about 30 minutes down PCH, with the rest of LA — Westwood, the Getty Center, Hollywood — beyond. A car (or the Pepperdine shuttle) opens it up.

Getting around

Cars & the Pepperdine shuttle

Malibu is car country and PCH is the main artery; Pepperdine runs shuttles to Santa Monica and Westwood, but many students bring a car (first-year parking is available). LAX is about an hour away.

For move-in, family weekend & graduation

Where to stay near Pepperdine University

Closest · Malibu

Malibu hotels along PCH

~5–15 min

Malibu's own hotels — the Malibu Beach Inn, the Native Hotel, and Calamigos up Malibu Canyon — are the closest, but limited and pricey. Book far ahead for move-in.

Nearby · over the hill

Calabasas & Agoura Hills hotels

~20–25 min drive

Inland over the mountains, Calabasas and Agoura Hills (the Kimpton Everly, a Marriott, a Hampton Inn) offer more rooms at saner prices, a scenic drive from campus via Malibu Canyon.

The coast

Santa Monica hotels

~30 min drive

Santa Monica has the most rooms and makes a great base for a coastal weekend, about half an hour down PCH — a common choice for Pepperdine families.

Malibu rooms are scarce and expensive — book early. The town has only a handful of hotels, so move-in, Family Weekend, and April graduation fill them (and price them up) months ahead. Calabasas and Agoura Hills over the hill, and Santa Monica down the coast, are the practical overflow with more rooms and easier prices.

Gear up