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California Aeronautical University

Specialized school

California Aeronautical University

Bakersfield, CA · Private for-profit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $36,126 a year

Median debt at graduation: $30,705 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.30%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.8 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$21,411

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$35,535
$30,001–$48,000$28,863
$48,001–$75,000$35,669
$75,001–$110,000$39,250
Over $110,000$43,076

Full cost of attendance before aid: $46,233 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
383
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 87% · Women 13%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
50%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
8%
Total students388
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$36,126
Cost of attendance (per year)$46,233
Median federal debt at graduation$30,705
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
30%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
33%
First-year retention69%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$38,361
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$100
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,140 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants46%

Value: Solid (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Business administration$62,905

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Air Transportation, Criminal justice, Health administration.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Transportation100%

Campus life

SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates0%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older51%
On-campus room and board (per year)$8,850
Students per faculty member8 to 1
Faculty who are full-time25%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Dorm spaceFor about 58% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceMeadows Field (BFL)Less than 1 mile away · about 15 minutes by car
Nearest major airportHollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)About 94 miles away
Town population411,986Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreBakersfieldAbout 6 miles away · about 15 minutes by car
Typical weather50°F in January · 85°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Bakersfield Airport, CA

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft2.860.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is California Aeronautical University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does California Aeronautical University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $36,126 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How do California Aeronautical University’s graduates do?
30% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $38,361; the median federal debt at graduation is $30,705.

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