California Baptist University
About
California Baptist University is a private university in Riverside, California, United States. Founded in 1950 as California Baptist College, it is affiliated with the California Southern Baptist Convention, an organization affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. CBU is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 18.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 138 Title IV programs, 49 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 89 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing49 · 35.5%
- No Data89 · 64.5%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 14
Action history · 16
- Nov 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
- Jun 2025Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Aug 2024Renewal of AccreditationCouncil on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level programs offered outside a school of public health
- May 2024Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: ProbationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
- Oct 2023Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,520 students received $26.6M in Pell grants, alongside $129.2M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 3,244 borrowers who entered repayment, 38 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at California Baptist
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus16
- Public property2
Includes 3 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Colony - G1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
California Baptist vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions California Baptist selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCalifornia Baptist University | 62% | — | 11,902 | $27,384 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| 62% | 88.4% | 6,272 | $19,798 | R2 Research | |
| 68% | 74.3% | 5,434 | $28,101 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 55% | 93.7% | 18,492 | $5,918 | R2 Research | |
| 82% | 65.4% | 9,760 | $47,527 | R2 Research | |
| 58% | 66.0% | 3,658 | $28,046 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 79% | 45.1% | 10,179 | $45,723 | R2 Research | |
| 83% | 62.9% | 8,976 | $45,409 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 77% | 83.7% | 4,757 | $50,168 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 88% | 48.0% | 9,728 | $50,959 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 63% | 71.2% | 5,021 | $26,925 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 67% | 82.7% | 3,087 | $22,867 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 84% | 52.4% | 9,714 | $31,265 | R2 Research | |
| 68% | 71.3% | 6,944 | $25,926 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 57% | 62.4% | 2,246 | $19,761 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| Peer group median | 68% | 68.6% | 6,944 | $28,046 |
Institutions like California Baptist
Explore the federal data for institutions in California Baptist's comparison group.
- R2 ResearchCalifornia
Azusa Pacific University
Grad rate62%Admit rate88.4%Enrollment6,272Net price$19,798View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Biola University
Grad rate68%Admit rate74.3%Enrollment5,434Net price$28,101View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
California State University-San Bernardino
Grad rate55%Admit rate93.7%Enrollment18,492Net price$5,918View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
Chapman University
Grad rate82%Admit rate65.4%Enrollment9,760Net price$47,527View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Concordia University-Irvine
Grad rate58%Admit rate66.0%Enrollment3,658Net price$28,046View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
Loyola Marymount University
Grad rate79%Admit rate45.1%Enrollment10,179Net price$45,723View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Pepperdine University
Grad rate83%Admit rate62.9%Enrollment8,976Net price$45,409View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
Point Loma Nazarene University
Grad rate77%Admit rate83.7%Enrollment4,757Net price$50,168View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Santa Clara University
Grad rate88%Admit rate48.0%Enrollment9,728Net price$50,959View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
University of La Verne
Grad rate63%Admit rate71.2%Enrollment5,021Net price$26,925View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
University of Redlands
Grad rate67%Admit rate82.7%Enrollment3,087Net price$22,867View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
University of San Diego
Grad rate84%Admit rate52.4%Enrollment9,714Net price$31,265View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
University of the Pacific
Grad rate68%Admit rate71.3%Enrollment6,944Net price$25,926View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsCalifornia
Vanguard University of Southern California
Grad rate57%Admit rate62.4%Enrollment2,246Net price$19,761View data
California Baptist Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
As the official office collecting and providing data related to the University, Institutional Research functions within Educational Effectiveness to assist executive management and the university community in general by providing reliable, relevant, quality data to facilitate strategic planning, budgeting, accountability, institutional assessment, program review, policy decisions, and by reporting this data to government and private agencies.
Visit IR office page- Brian A. NiemeierDirector of Institutional Research
- Brianna MarquezInstitutional Research Analyst
Common Data Set
California Baptist's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C18,438 applied → 6,868 admitted (81.4%) → 1,591 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 81.4% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 860–1150 (median 980).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 19–29 (median 24).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $46,029 (2026-2027).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $46,029 → about $29,665 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($16,364); 32% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H162% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H571% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $36,500 on average.
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I354% of classes have under 20 students; 2% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~17% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D12,292 transfer applicants → 1,841 admitted (80.3%) → 1,105 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.
Source publications
Reports & documents (1)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
Grants & funding (4)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- awardHuman Digital Twin Model and Heat Stress ResearchUniversity of Montanainstitution_site$123,700
- awardSong Brown Program GrantDept. of Health Care Accessinstitution_site$91,000
- awardSober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act GrantSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)institution_site$49,977
- award2025 CCCU Networking Grantinstitution_site
Notable alumni of California Baptist (14)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Savali Talavou Ale
- Nathan FletcherPolitics
- Robert Don Hughes
- Corey JacksonPolitics
- Fraser Kershaw
- Dustin-Leigh Konzelman
- Brent KutzleMusic
- Trevor MisipekaAthletics
- Reid D. Milanovich
- Rana ReiderAthletics
- Jim Sandoval
- Brandon Schuster
Frequently asked questions about California Baptist University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about California Baptist.
What is the graduation rate at California Baptist University?
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What is the average net price at California Baptist University?
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Where is California Baptist University located?
Who runs Institutional Research at California Baptist University?
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