Cost & financial aid brief
California Baptist University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does California Baptist University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 51% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, for a sticker-to-net gap of $27,753. The average net price—the average amount students pay after grants and scholarships, not the median—across all aid recipients is $26,285.
Across income bands, the average net price starts at $22,298 for families earning under $30,000, moves to $21,941 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $22,620 for $48,001–$75,000, $26,179 for $75,001–$110,000, and reaches $33,971 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,673.
The pattern shows aid is concentrated on families with lower incomes: the lowest three bands all sit below the overall average, while the highest band is above it. The compressed spread coincides with a pricing structure that keeps costs similar for most aid recipients.
The published cost of attendance at California Baptist University is $54,038. Azimuth ranks the university #1,121 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $22,298, those in the $48,001–$75,000 band average $22,620, and those earning over $110,000 average $33,971. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,673.
Aid covers about 51% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $26,285. That is $1,086 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,063 in federal student loans, $1,864 above the $24,199 peer median. 91.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $31,387 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $296 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at California Baptist University, where 91.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Completers who borrowed face a median federal debt of $26,063 at completion.
The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, and the university's median is above that figure by $1,864. Parent borrowers form a separate population, and their median Parent PLUS debt is $31,387.
Graduates of California Baptist University earn about $12,564 more than expects for similar students, a result in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, the median earnings are $68,600, which places in the 74th percentile nationally.
That median runs above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $350. Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show a typical earnings level matching that median, with a downside scenario of $47,435 and an upside scenario of $94,384.
Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $26,063, which is above the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions by $1,864. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $296 a month if repaid over ten years.
Above-expected earnings and a debt level close to the peer median point in different directions, making the return picture one of strong earnings performance alongside typical borrowing.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $31,387. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $296.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $31,387
- Estimated parent payment
- $399/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 23.5% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 10.5% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 5.0% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.3% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $26,063
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $31,387
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $296/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $399/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $695/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $68,600, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
8.0% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.