Private nonprofit · University

California Baptist University

Riverside, California · Large city

84.9%
Admit rate
$26,285
Avg net price
62%
Graduation rate
$61,504
Median earnings

California Baptist University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Riverside, California (large city setting), enrolling 8,179 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Southern Baptist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 8,179 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 85% admitNCAA Division I without football

About Riverside, California

Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. In the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by Cahuilla and the Serrano people. Californios such as Bernardo Yorba and Juan Bandini established ranches during the first half of the 19th century. Entomology Research Museum at the University of California, Riverside (not open to the public). (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
5 miles to Riverside, CA
To the ocean
34 miles
Nearest airport
13 miles to Ontario (ONT) · major hub

How California Baptist University compares

Selectivity84.9%

More selective than 35% · #69 most selective of 107 in California

Graduation rate62%

Higher than 64% · #64 of 122 in California

First-year retention74%

Higher than 43%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$61,504

Higher than 70% · #78 of 130 in California

Average net price$26,285

Cheaper than 25% · #63 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$26,063

Lower than 22%

Student–faculty ratio21 : 1

Lower than 8%

Undergraduate enrollment8,179

Larger than 86%

Percentiles compare California Baptist University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

11,664students
  • Undergraduate8,17970%
  • Graduate3,48530%

Undergraduates by gender

8,179undergrads
  • Women5,40366%
  • Men2,77634%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White30%
  • Black6.9%
  • Hispanic44%
  • Asian5.9%
  • Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
8,179
Graduate enrollment
3,485
Student–faculty ratio
21 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
42%
First-generation students
42%
Students over 25
18%
Median family income
$42,597
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$98,469
Endowment
$157,607,036

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,282 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California91%
  • Other U.S. states6.4%
  • International2.7%

Most first-years stay in state — California Baptist University draws overwhelmingly from California.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
84.9%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$41,228
Room & board
$12,140
Books & supplies
$1,062
Total cost of attendance
$54,038
Average net price
$26,285

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
62%
Graduated on time (4 years)
44%
First-year retention
74%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$52,336
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$61,504
Median debt at graduation
$26,063
Students with federal loans
61%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
48%

About 18% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
44%
Low-income (Pell)
50%
First-generation
50%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,670
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
45%
Housing charge (year)
$7,630
Meal plan (year)
$6,820
Application fee
$45
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
448 (212 men · 236 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Soccer69
Water Polo54
Swimming and Diving (combined)53
Track and Field (Outdoor)44
Baseball38
Cross Country35
Other Sports33
Wrestling29
Basketball28
Softball28
Volleyball19
Golf18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
24
Property offenses (2022–2024)
51

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (11,902 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

25reported offenses a year
8.0 violent a year17 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
9.7
Motor vehicle theft
7.3
Rape
3.7
Fondling
3.3
Aggravated assault
0.7
Robbery
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$22,298
$30–48k
$21,941
$48–75k
$22,620
$75–110k
$26,179
$110k+
$33,971

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$100,180

$22,620/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$17,460
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 99% — get grant money from California Baptist University itself, averaging $17,460, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,305 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$61,504
Typical debt at graduation
$26,063
Debt vs. one year's pay
42%
Out-earn a HS grad
60%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$58,115
Men
$68,103

Men out-earn women by $9,988 (17%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
95°F
Winter low
43°F
Annual rain
9.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.22.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Riverside Muni AP, CA US station (1.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to California Baptist University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare California Baptist University side by side →

Colleges near California Baptist University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.