Flexible, Christian Liberal Arts Education From CBU
California Baptist University appears in our ranking of the 10 Best Online Schools for Graphic Design.
Crowned the West’s 72nd best value by Washington Monthly, California Baptist University is a Greater Los Angeles CCCU member that grants 76 bachelor’s, 31 master’s, and three doctoral degrees, including 49 online programs, at a 17:1 student-faculty ratio. For example, the Logistics and Operations B.B.A. accelerates a 48-unit, ACBSP-accredited transfer path outlined by Dr. Kenny George online for 16-month completion with 72 percent retention of eight-week classes like Global Supply Chain. Chaired by Dr. Keelan Kaiser, the 131-unit Architecture B.A. lets undergrads join the AIAS Chapter, spend five weeks in Italy, and exhibit at the CAVAD Annual Symposium.
Online on Blackboard, the Counseling Psychology M.S. led by Dr. Thomas Frederick has a 62-unit, 24-month curriculum of accelerated eight-week courses like Psychodiagnostics and two 500-level practica to produce California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors. Headed by Dr. Nicole MacDonald, the Athletic Training M.S. follows a 57-unit, CAATE-accredited Riverside plan costing $41,000 total with 900 clinical rotation hours for a 95 percent Board Certification pass rate.
Other Cal Baptist degrees include the Actuarial Science B.S., B.A. in Graphic Design and Digital Media, Aviation Management B.S., Interior Design B.A., Piano Performance B.M., Communication M.A., Education M.S., and Software Engineering M.S.
About California Baptist University
California Baptist University originated on September 18, 1950, when P. Boyd Smith welcomed an inaugural class of 42 to the First Southern Baptist Church in El Monte. In 1953, the California Baptist Association acquired it from the Los Angeles Division. Chartered in 1954, it moved 44 miles east to Riverside for Inland Empire learning. In 1960, its 110,000-volume Annie Gabriel Library was formally dedicated. In 1984, California Baptist added the earliest master’s program. Six years later, the Evening College was launched for adult-friendly High Desert courses. In 1996, it boasted the West Coast’s first ACBSP accreditation. In 1998, the California Baptist University name was adopted to signify advanced degree availability. In 2010, the Division of Online & Professional Studies was born. In 2017, the College of Health Science accepted a $15.5 million Keep Riverside Clean Beautification Grant.
Endowed for $47.7 million, California Baptist University now educates 10,486 Lancers from 25 countries online and at the 30-building “City of Arts & Innovation” campus with 50+ clubs like the Society of Women Engineers. In 2005, CBU earned the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award. California Baptist University received the 2017 NCAA Division II Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence. In 2018, The Banner at Cal Baptist won 22 CCMA Awards including Best Overall Newspaper Design. The U.S. News & World Report recognized CBU for the 42nd best bachelor’s, 77th best education, and 86th top business degrees online. On Niche, CBU boasts America’s 62nd best kinesiology, 93rd top criminal justice, 95th best religious studies, and 162nd top sociology programs. The Economist declared Cal Baptist the 340th best buy for $79,500 median pay.
California Baptist University Accreditation Details
On February 18, 2011, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission extended the Level VI accreditation status at California Baptist University through 2021 under its fifth president, Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, who accepted the Boy Scouts Association’s Distinguished Citizen Award. Located 421 miles up Interstate 5 in Alameda, this elite eight-territory Asia Pacific Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department and California Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education (BPPE). The Academic Advising Office also details the following degree accreditations:
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
- National Association of Schools of Music
- Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
- American Council for Construction Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
- National Architectural Accrediting Board
- California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
California Baptist University Application Requirements
Entering California Baptist University is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because 3,884 of the 5,039 Fall 2017 applicants were selected for competitive 77 percent acceptance. First-year Lancers are evaluated based on college-prep high school or GED completion. Four units of English and Math plus three units of Science are suggested. Standard admission requires a minimum 2.5 GPA, 920 SAT score, and 19 ACT score. The Honors Program seeks GPAs above 3.3 and SAT marks over 1020. Accelerated online undergrads must transfer 30+ semester or 45+ quarter credits with at least 2.0 GPAs. Bridge status is available for undergrads with 24-27 previous credits. The RN-BSN Program considers an associate degree in nursing and 2.5 GPA prerequisite. Graduate School entrants must verify an accredited bachelor’s and minimum 2.75 GPA. Metcalf cohorts typically need a California Preliminary K-12 teaching credential. Online MBA students have an average of 96 months of work experience. Civil Engineering M.S. hopefuls need 15 prerequisite STEM credits like Hydrology.
California Baptist University opens undergrad admission on September 15th annually on a rolling basis. Note December 1st is the priority deadline for Lancer Select. Foreign students with a minimum 430 SAT Reading, 71 TOEFL iBT, or 48 PTE score apply until July 1st and November 1st only. The Higher Education Leadership M.S. prefers candidates filing before May 15th. Counseling Psychology M.S. students abide August 1st, December 1st, and April 1st deadlines. The Physician Assistant Studies M.S. seeks entrants from April 25th to December 1st. Accordingly, complete the Cal Baptist App online for $45. Forward official transcripts to 8432 Magnolia Avenue in Riverside, CA 92504. Supplemental checklist items include the standardized tests, five-paragraph personal essay, 2-3 references, résumé, research writing sample, interview, and teaching or nursing license. Learn more by contacting (877) 228-3615 or admissions@calbaptist.edu.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, California Baptist University is charging full-time undergrads $16,741 per semester or $32,942 annually. Taking under 12 units incurs $1,267 apiece. Bachelor’s majors cover $2,140 in mandatory yearly fees. Living at the Riverside campus’ dorms like Smith Hall adds $3,165 for shared or $4,740 for private occupancy. Meal plans for Lancer’s Plaza cafeterias are $500 to $3,275 extra. CBU budgets $1,000 for books, $991 for health insurance, and $3,240 for personal expenses. Traditional annual study equals $47,694 on-site and $39,758 at home. The Online & Professional Studies Division bills $589 per unit. Average graduate tuition is $13,420 each year though rates vary. The Social Work M.S.W. is $660 per unit. Online Doctor of Public Administration cohorts spend $897 per unit. The PA Program costs $14,400 per semester.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in Yeager Center Room B123 gets 83 percent of full-time CBU Lancers median tuition assistance of $13,564 each for $78.08 million combined. University funds include the Double Major Scholarship, Andrew Tucker Business Scholarship, Bourns Engineering Scholarship, Clara Belle McGinnis Scholarship, Fahnestock Biology Scholarship, Hazel Evensen Scholarship for Nursing, Olie Brown International Scholarship, Ruth Joy Ministry Scholarship, Stacks Family Scholarship, and Tovey/Shultz Construction Management Scholarship. The Trustees Scholarship gifts $13,500 to freshmen meeting the 1200 SAT and 25 ACT minimum. Transfers with 24+ credits and GPAs above 3.5 qualify for the $9,500 Gold Scholarship. Filing FAFSA forms coded 001125 judges Federal Pell Grant, Opportunity Grant, Teach Grant, Stafford Loan, and Work-Study eligibility. Golden State residents also abide a March 2nd deadline for $9,084 Cal Grant A or $1,672 Cal Grant B consideration.
Search through 11 accredited colleges with 110+ faith-informed degrees at the California Baptist University website.