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California Baptist University

Private nonprofit Riverside, CA · Urban · Far West · 93% data
A- Earnings B+ Diversity B+ Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
61% C+
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$61,504 A-
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$26,285 D
53% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
85% C-
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +51% vs avg
Graduation +6% vs avg
Net Price 53% vs avg
Mobility Top 19%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 14.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $14.2 over 20 years.

14.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $14.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,389,755.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduates earn 51% more than the national college median.

  3. Social mobility rate of 2.36% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $14.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why California Baptist University Matters

California Baptist University is a private university in Riverside, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
8,179
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI · 75
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Psychology, Education

Why students choose California Baptist University

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Engine of upward mobility
A strong record of moving students up the income ladder
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 41% overall
A-
Earnings
$61,504 median
C-
Value
2.3× net price
D
Affordability
$26,285/yr net
C+
Graduation
61% graduate
B+
Social Mobility
2.4% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Selectivity
85% admit rate
B+
Diversity
0.71 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

California Baptist University has an acceptance rate of 85%, making it accessible to a wide range of students. This openness attracts a diverse student body, with an enrollment of 8,179 individuals. The campus offers a supportive environment for those looking to pursue their education in a faith-based setting.

Graduates from California Baptist University can expect a median earning of $61,504 ten years after graduation. While the graduation rate stands at 61%, the university's focus on health professions, business, psychology, and engineering equips students with skills that are in demand. This suggests that many graduates find solid career paths, even as the school works to improve overall completion rates.

The net price for attending the university is $26,285, with a median debt of $26,063. With 42% of students receiving Pell Grants, financial aid plays a significant role in making education attainable. Students who thrive here often have a clear career goal and appreciate the community atmosphere that supports both academic and personal growth.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective California Baptist University is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into California Baptist University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Riverside, California, California Baptist University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 85%. The graduation rate is roughly 61%.

Acceptance Rate
85%
Retention Rate
74%
Full-Time Faculty
48%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$10,941
Student–Faculty Ratio
18:1
Diversity Index
0.71
First-Gen Students
42%
Applicants
7,654
Admitted
6,117

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend California Baptist University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at California Baptist University is $41,228, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $26,285. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,298 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,063 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$41,228
Out-of-State
$41,228
Avg Net Price
$26,285
Median Debt
$26,063
Pell Grant Rate
42%
Federal Loan Rate
61%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$22,298
Family Income $30K–$48K
$21,941
Family Income $48K–$75K
$22,620
Family Income $110K+
$33,971

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at California Baptist University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is California Baptist University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of California Baptist University earn a median of $61,504, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$52,336
8 Years
$58,531
10 Years
$61,504
Debt-to-Earnings
0.42x
Earning > $25K
63%

Earnings Trajectory

$52,336 6yr $58,531 8yr $61,504 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (433)
41%
100% (433)
41%
100% (433)
41%
100% (433)
41%

How California Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation61%Earnings 10yr$62KNet Price$26KRetention74%Median Debt$26KPell Grant Rate42%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$22K$0-30K$22K$30-48K$23K$48-75K$34K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%7.6%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%30.9%MOBILITY2.36%

College ROI Calculator

Is California Baptist University Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, California Baptist University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $26,285/year ($105,140 total). Graduates earn $61,504 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,494,895 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,389,755 (14.2× your investment). The median debt is $26,063, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 61% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$105,140
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,494,895
Net Return
$1,389,755
ROI Multiple
14.2×
Cost Per Year
$26,285
Median Debt
$26,063
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
61%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does California Baptist University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

California Baptist University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.36%, among the highest in the country. About 7.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 30.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $82,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
2.36%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
30.9%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
7.6%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$112,224
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is California Baptist University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at California Baptist University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.74, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.74
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.5%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income
$-17,459,956

Top Programs

The fields California Baptist University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into California Baptist University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Riverside, California, California Baptist University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 85%. The graduation rate is roughly 61%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend California Baptist University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at California Baptist University is $41,228, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $26,285. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,298 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,063 in federal student loans.

Is California Baptist University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of California Baptist University earn a median of $61,504, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does California Baptist University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

California Baptist University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.36%, among the highest in the country. About 7.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 30.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $82,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is California Baptist University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at California Baptist University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.74, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys