If you are a junior in high school right now, it’s definitely time to start thinking about your college visits – a perfect time to see what a school you might be considering is really like without solely relying on their website or brochure.  With all of the colleges out there, how do you begin to narrow your college search?  Check back with our blog frequently (or better yet-sign up below to get our blog sent straight to your email), as we will be posting things we have observed on our most recent college visits.

Today, the KaMi Spotlight is on California Baptist University (CBU)

CBU Seal

5 Things You Might Know:

• Cost to attend ranges from around $28,432 for the commuter student and $36,172 for tuition with room and board.

• Besides offering financial assistance based on need, CBU offers grants and scholarships for academics, art, music, journalism, athletics, drama, and engineering.  The academic scholarships start at $4,500 for a GPA of 3.3-3.74 and go up to $8,000 for a 4.0 and above.  These scholarships are per year, as long as the minimum GPA is maintained.

• Enrollment for 2012-2013 is just around 4,000 undergrads but the school is envisioning an expansion to 8,080 by 2020.

• A Division 2 school currently transitioning from NAIA to NCAA in the Pac West.

• Over 100 majors with some of the most popular being Business, Education, Nursing, and Engineering.

5 Things You Might Not Know About CBU:

•70% of the students live on campus in Male or Female dorms, cottages, or on-campus apartments.

• Most general ed classes have around 28 students, but the average is 21 students per class, with the largest classrooms holding 70 students.

•The recreation center is brand new (just opened in January of 2013) and 3-stories. It offers rock-climbing, cardio equipment, racquetball courts, and workout rooms for classes.  The basketball flooring is Grade 1 (NBA quality).  On the roof of the building is a futsal field and turf track.

• There are no Greek organizations at CBU, but there is a big focus on community life.  Clubs, recreational sports, and weekend excursions are available, and many participate.  Specialty workshops are offered through the career center with topics such as “Business Dinner Etiquette (Which fork do you use??)”.

• 100% of the faculty are Christian and Chapel is required 15 times each semester for students who are encouraged to “live their purpose”.

Even though we visited CBU during the summer season, with very few students on campus, we really got a feel for the opportunities that students are given to connect to each other and their school.

Time to start our tour at CBU!

This is the view coming out of the cafeteria.

The cafeteria (which is All-You-Can-Eat Buffet style).

Our tour guide, Mikayla, took us all around the campus on a golf cart!

A very clean and state-of-the-art classroom.

A dorm room in the Women’s dorms.

A peek at the baseball field.

Athletic Complex

Futsal and an outdoor turf track on the roof of the Rec Center.