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California Baptist University
California Baptist University says yes to 84.9% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $61,504 median earnings.
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California Baptist University sits in Riverside proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its Southern Baptist affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, where graduates median $108,157 four years out. 42.1% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 8,179 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 74.4% of first-years come back for a second year.
California Baptist University won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, California Baptist University received 7,935 applications and admitted 5,838 (73.6%), with 1,282 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. California Baptist University's 84.9% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How California Baptist University compares
| California Baptist University | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 84.9% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $41,228 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $61,504 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
At $61,504, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($64,778). Look at California Baptist University's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $41,228 regardless of where you're from. At California Baptist University, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
At 8,179 undergrads, California Baptist University is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
61.9% graduate within six years. Roughly 38% don't — ask a California Baptist University tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at California Baptist University
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $108,157 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $105,046 |
| Computer Engineering | $96,506 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $93,038 |
| Civil Engineering | $90,251 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $81,150 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $80,632 |
| Public Health | $77,329 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | $76,789 |
| Public Administration | $75,949 |
| Air Transportation | $72,629 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $68,936 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $67,621 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $65,603 |
| Political Science and Government | $64,605 |
| Psychology, General | $61,103 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $60,883 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $60,816 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $59,801 |
| Journalism | $58,821 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $56,656 |
| Marketing | $56,350 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $55,968 |
| History | $54,239 |
| Sociology | $54,060 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $52,904 |
| Biology, General | $52,118 |
| Graphic Communications | $51,834 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $51,070 |
| Behavioral Sciences | $48,922 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $47,494 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | $47,121 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $41,749 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $40,432 |
Median earnings for these 34 California Baptist University programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $61,504 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 45 additional California Baptist University programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for California Baptist University?
California Baptist University doesn't look at test scores; its 84.9% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is California Baptist University's acceptance rate?
73.6% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 5,838 admitted from 7,935 applicants.
How much does California Baptist University cost?
At California Baptist University, published tuition is $41,228 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is California Baptist University's ceiling, not a quote.
What do California Baptist University graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $61,504 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- California Lutheran University — 75.7% admitted
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona — 75.2% admitted
- Biola University — 74.4% admitted
- University of California-Riverside — 76.4% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.