Los Angeles, CAprivate nonprofitwww.cbd.edu/
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
CBD College is a specialized, career-focused institution in Los Angeles that operates more like a direct pipeline to the healthcare workforce than a traditional liberal arts college. With an open-access admissions policy and a curriculum laser-focused on practical skills like sonography and medical assisting, it attracts students who want a fast, efficient track into stable, in-demand jobs. The culture is pragmatic and supportive, centered on preparing for licensure and employment, with a notable emphasis on student wellness alongside professional training.
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Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Admissions at CBD College is defined by its open-access, non-selective policy. The institution accepts 100% of applicants, with sources consistently reporting that in a recent year, 210 out of 210 applicants were admitted. This places it in a fundamentally different category from selective universities; the barrier to entry is not competition but ensuring a candidate is prepared for and committed to its intensive healthcare programs. The process is described as personalized, with admissions representatives offering guidance through enrollment. The student body is exclusively full-time, with a total enrollment of 1,581 students as of 2024. There is no mention of standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) being a factor, and the admissions statistics suggest the primary focus is on completing application materials and determining program fit rather than academic selectivity.
The academic experience at CBD College is intensely practical and career-oriented, centered on earning certificates and associate degrees in specific allied health fields. The most popular majors, by number of graduates, are Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician (139 graduates), Medical Assistant (133 graduates), and Occupational Therapist Assistant (61 graduates). Programs are structured with rigorous pass/fail benchmarks: students must pass each didactic course with a grade point average of 75% or higher in both lab and theory components, and must pass clinical courses. The college also offers an online Bachelor of Health Science degree, which builds skills in healthcare policy, community wellness, and operations. This is not a school for intellectual exploration across disciplines; it’s a training ground where the curriculum is directly tied to licensure requirements and job readiness in a high-stakes clinical environment.
Student life appears to be closely integrated with the college's professional mission and supportive community ethos. The college organizes wellness-focused activities for its students, such as guided meditation and yoga sessions during designated "Wellness Wednesday" events. A promotional video offers a glimpse into the student experience, emphasizing training for a healthcare career. The campus is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. While details on traditional residential life or extracurricular clubs are sparse, the available sources paint a picture of a commuter-style student body engaged in a demanding course of study, with the institution providing structured, holistic support aimed at managing stress and promoting well-being alongside academic rigor.
Outcomes are the central promise of CBD College, measured in licensure, job placement, and earnings. For its Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, recent job placement rates for graduates employed in their field were 79% (2023) and 80% (2022). Salary data for graduates employed in the field shows concentrations in the $25,001 to $35,000 annual range, with some earning between $35,001 and $40,000. Broader institutional data shows a strong focus on completion: the six-year graduation rate is reported at 86%, aligning with the canonical graduation rate of 82%. Earnings data varies by source, with one reporting earnings one year after graduation at $44,889, and another showing $36,427. The college's own 2024 report to the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) listed an on-time completion rate of 58.59% for a cohort of 198 students. The driving narrative is one of transition into the healthcare workforce, with success defined by securing relevant employment soon after completing a program.
CBD College is a tuition-driven institution. The average after aid—the out-of-pocket cost for students receiving financial aid—is $23,033 per year. The college offers a range of financial assistance programs, including scholarships, grants, loans, work-study opportunities, and veteran benefits. It provides a Net Price Calculator on its website to help prospective students estimate their individual cost after factoring in grant and scholarship aid, which it notes does not have to be repaid. There is no indication in the provided sources that CBD College meets 100% of demonstrated financial need or has a no-loan policy for low-income students; its aid offerings appear to be a mix of federal, state, and institutional resources typical of career-focused colleges.
CBD College stands out for its unambiguous, no-frills mission: to efficiently train students for specific, in-demand allied health careers. It rejects the model of competitive admissions, instead offering 100% acceptance to all who apply, making post-secondary education and career transition accessible. Its distinctiveness lies in this focus and function. The culture is not about campus life or broad exploration; it's a professional training environment where success is measured by passing rigorous, standardized benchmarks (like the 75% minimum grade requirement) and achieving job placement. The addition of wellness programming like meditation and yoga reflects an understanding of the high-stress nature of both its curricula and the fields it prepares students for, adding a layer of holistic support within a highly pragmatic framework. It serves a specific student demographic—career-changers, students, and those seeking a direct path to a stable job—with a clarity of purpose that more traditional colleges often lack.