[citation needed] Soon the college outgrew its facilities, and in 1955 it moved its campus to the then-rural city of Riverside, California.

[11] On August 30, 2011, California Baptist University expelled incoming nursing student Domaine Javier for being a transgender woman.

[12] Before attending classes, Javier revealed her identity on MTV's True Life, after which CBU expelled her.

As a result, Javier's attorneys filed a lawsuit against the school on grounds of discrimination, citing California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.

[13] Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gloria Connor Trask ruled on July 11, 2014 that as a transgender person, Javier's application violated the university's moral code and the school was within its rights to expel her.

[14] Because of California Baptist's decision to bar Javier from their campus businesses, Judge Trask ordered the school to pay her $4,000 in statutory damages in addition to attorney's fees.

The university is a member of the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for most of its sports since the 2018–19 academic year;[17][18][19] while the men's water polo team competes in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA); and the women's water polo team competes in the Golden Coast Conference (GCC).

[21] In addition, CBU's various schools and colleges hold accreditations from and memberships with organizations related to their specific disciplines.