California Baptist University

Located in Riverside, California, California Baptist University offers two aviation-focused programs—one rooted in flight and the other in management. CBU also offers an accelerated dispatch program, with a 100 percent pass rate. Due to its location in California and state schools unable to house aviation programs, CBU has one of the only aviation schools in the state.

Program Highlights

California Baptist University students who are on the flight training path will complete flight training out of Riverside Municipal Airport (KRAL), only a five-minute drive from main campus. CBU is an FAA testing center which provides students easy access to written exams and checkrides.

Programs offered include:

• Bachelor of Science
  • Aviation Flight
  • BS in Aviation Management with 5 different concentrations
    ■ Aerospace Technology Concentration
    ■ Airport Management and Operations Concentration
    ■ Dispatch Concentration
    ■ Flight Operations Concentration
    ■ Logistics and Operations Concentration
• Minors
  • Aviation Dispatch
  • Aviation Management
  • Aviation Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Missionary Aviation

CBU will hire current and past students as instructors while they gain experience. The school is also part of Region 2 of the National intercollegiate Flying Association Inc.

Value

California Baptist University is a private Baptist university, which impacts the cost of its tuition. Before flight training costs, students can expect to pay around $48,000 for base tuition, which is on the higher end. Flight costs are average $75,000-100,000 for the entire program. All in before any financial aid, students will likely pay around $290,000.

Good news is CBU has plenty of financial support for students. The average financial award is $20,000 per student per year. The school also accepts veteran’s benefits such as the GI Bill.

Army and Air Force ROTC is open to students wanting to serve their country after graduation.

Students who want to lower tuition even more can apply to a number of scholarships, including ones from the:

● Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
● University Aviation Association
● Experimental Aircraft Association

Fleet and Facilities

The school’s fleet of 16 aircraft includes:

● Cessna 172s
● Cessna 150s
● Piper Seminoles
● Piper Archers

The average time to complete the program falls between three and four years and students graduate with about 250 hours. Graduates are eligible for 500-hour restricted ATP.

Campus Life

Being a Baptist university, CBU prides itself on providing an inclusive environment for everyone. The university has many campus traditions such as Midnight Madness and Late Night Breakfast to bring students together.

The university also has clubs for students to join that stretch across many interests, including:
● Art Club
● Disney Club
● Radiological Science Club

The university was named the best school in California for food and the ninth best in the nation. It is also a top 10 fast-growing school in the U.S.

Many worship opportunities are available to students on campus as well as off. They provide volunteer experiences for students and access to pastors.

The Bottom Line

California Baptist is one of the only options for aviation schools in California and is dedicated to providing students with access to high-quality instruction in conjunction with a traditional college experience. Students have many options to help pay for school and can take advantage of a 500-hour ATP reduction.