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Cost & financial aid brief

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# California Baptist University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/california-baptist-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/california-baptist-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/california-baptist-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/california-baptist-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/california-baptist-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does California Baptist University cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at California Baptist University is $54,038, with tuition and fees of $41,228 and room and board of $12,140. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $26,285, a savings of $27,753 off the sticker price.

That average net price is $1,086 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #1,121 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 21st percentile.

For affordability, California Baptist University is in the 21st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $26,285, $1,086 below the median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

By income band, the lowest band averages $22,298 and the highest averages $33,971. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $26,063 in federal student loans, $1,864 above the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a compressed structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $22,298; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $21,941; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $22,620; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $26,179; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $33,971.

Pell Grant recipients make up 42.1% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,673.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$22,298

**$30–48K**
$21,941

**$48–75K**
$22,620

**$75–110K**
$26,179

**$110K+**
$33,971

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$26,285**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) debt is $31,387.

Graduates of California Baptist University earn about $12,564 more than the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $31,387. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $296.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$31,387

**Estimated parent payment**
$399/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=california-baptist-university#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=california-baptist-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.