California Aeronautical University
Bakersfield, California · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 7/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
California Aeronautical University scores 7 (Below Benchmark). The core problem: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.233, a 30.2% completion rate, an 84.6-year payback period, and a loan repayment rate of only 38.6%. Average 6-year earnings are $24,900 against a net price of $36,126 per year and median student debt of $30,705. Fewer than 1 in 3 students who enroll completes a degree. This is a for-profit aviation school in Bakersfield, CA with 347 enrolled students; the financial profile is seriously problematic for most students who attend.
How California Aeronautical University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score7/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.23 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate30.2% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
California Aeronautical University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,667/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,667/yr |
| Average net price | $36,126/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $144,504 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,361 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $30,705 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $326 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 30.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 347 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $37,667/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $36,126/year, or roughly $144,504 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $35,535/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $43,076/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $30,705, which works out to about $326 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($24,900) and comes to 1.23, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $35,535 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $28,863 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $35,669 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $39,250 |
| $110,001+ | $43,076 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The $0-30,000 income bracket pays $35,535 per year - nearly the same as the published tuition. Pell grants are providing minimal offset relative to the cost. Low-income students at California Aeronautical carry the same debt burden as other students while having fewer financial reserves to weather the 30.2% completion-rate risk. This is a particularly high-risk choice for Pell-eligible students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-48,000 bracket pays $28,863 - a modest dip in the aid schedule. The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $35,669, nearly as much as the lowest income band. The aid model provides limited relief across middle-income brackets, and the financial risk profile is the same: high debt, low completion, low repayment rate.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,001+ pay $43,076 per year - the highest net price tier. This is a poor financial proposition at any income level.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at California Aeronautical University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Air Transportation | $52,656 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $62,905 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Air Transportation
Air Transportation is the primary program here (36 graduates with Scorecard data). Year-one median earnings are $52,656 with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.570 (ROI grade C) and median debt of $30,024. The year-one figure of $52k is plausible for a regional airline first officer or charter pilot, but it is the institutional-wide $24,900 average 6-year earnings that reveals the broader outcome: most students at this school do not reach aviation careers or are not captured as completing. The C-grade ROI for this specific program is materially better than the institution's overall profile.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 33.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 38.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 24.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 34.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How California Aeronautical University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 347 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 46.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,232 |
No admission rate or test score data is available for this institution. As a for-profit school with open-access enrollment in a specialized field, selectivity is not a relevant screen. The meaningful filter is financial: prospective students should calculate the full debt load expected at graduation against realistic aviation job market salaries before enrolling.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Aeronautical University (this school) | 7 | $36,126 | $38,361 |
| University of Silicon Valley | 23 | $27,815 | $51,017 |
| Academy of Art University | 10 | $40,613 | $39,008 |
| Eagle Gate College-Murray | 10 | $27,345 | $37,518 |
| South University-Tampa | 8 | $20,434 | $34,421 |
| South University-Montgomery | 7 | $27,807 | $34,421 |
Who Thrives Here
California Aeronautical University is a for-profit college primarily targeting students who want to become commercial pilots or aviation professionals. It is a poor fit for any student evaluating schools on financial outcomes: the completion rate is 30.2%, the repayment rate is 38.6%, and the average earnings are $24,900 at 6 years. Students who have already completed flight training elsewhere and need to formalize credentials may find it more relevant than degree-seeking students starting from scratch. The 46.3% Pell grant rate indicates substantial enrollment of lower-income students who face the greatest financial risk.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, California Aeronautical University scores 7/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $36,126 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $38,361 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 30.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.23 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 38.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $30,705 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $24,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.23. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
California Aeronautical University: Common Questions
Is California Aeronautical University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. California Aeronautical University scores 7/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $36,126 a year after aid against $38,361 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does California Aeronautical University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $36,126 a year, or roughly $144,504 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do California Aeronautical University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $38,361 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off California Aeronautical University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for California Aeronautical University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do California Aeronautical University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $30,705, against average earnings of $24,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.23. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at California Aeronautical University?
The six-year graduation rate is 30.2%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.