You Earned a Ticket!

Which school do you want to support?

Lesson 9.8

After High School:
What California’s System Provides

Of every 100 ninth graders, the number that graduate college is…

hero image

Education is a journey on a road with many exits.

We hope that all students persist through high school, but many do not. We hope that many go on to college, but many do not. We hope those who go to college will finish, but, again, many do not.

California has a long and well-respected history of providing its residents with affordable, lifelong access to postsecondary education. The largest and most visible investment is a robust public system of colleges and universities.

For every 100 students that enter 9th grade this year in California, about 87 will finish high school within five years. About 68 will enroll in some kind of college, but only 30 will earn a degree within six years. About 24 of those will be four-year degrees, and 6 will be two-year degrees.

Rates of high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion have risen steadily. But the funnel remains narrow.Source: Ed100 analysis of available California and national data, 2021, by Sam Hiken and Jeff Camp. Rates of high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion have risen significantly over time. Compare this graphic to 2006).

There are important patterns, of course. Female students tend to advance to and through college at higher rates than male students. Race/ethnicity is predictive, too — explore the interactive chart below to see Ed100's analysis of current trends.

California’s Master Plan for Higher Ed: three college systems

California's system of public higher education has three parts. In 1960, California's Master Plan for Higher Education created three systems of public colleges that still exist today. All three systems depend heavily on the state for funding to subsidize the California students who attend.

Big: The University of California (UC) system is the state’s primary academic research institution. It provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to over 280,000 students at ten campuses. Admission is guaranteed to the top 12.5% of public high school graduates and all qualified community college transfer students.

Bigger: The California State University (CSU) system has a total of 23 campuses and serves over 400,000 students. The CSU offers undergraduate and graduate education, including a limited number of doctorate degrees jointly with the University of California. Admission to the CSU is available to the top one-third (33.3%) of public high school graduates and all qualified community college transfer students.

Biggest: The California Community Colleges (CCC) is this country’s largest system of higher education. The 116 campuses are organized into 72 districts that together serve 2.1 million students of all ages. About three out of every 10 high school graduates -- that’s over 100,000 students annually -- enroll in a community college and study alongside many older adults. Students who attend community colleges can earn an associate degree, complete a training or certificate program, or prepare to transfer to a four-year university. California's community colleges accept all applicants who are high school graduates, as well as any other adults who can benefit from attendance.

Historically, these three systems operated very separately, and transfer applications were a painful process. In 2015 the leadership of the CSU system began to define explicit pathways for transfers. The UC system clarified its transfer processes and requirements in 2018.

More extensive information about these public institutions, the students they serve, and issues they face is available in a series of concise briefs from The Campaign for College Opportunity. Private colleges in California also play a significant role, enrolling nearly 300,000 students.

Adult Education programs in California

California’s adult education system also provides a second chance to young adults who have not graduated from high school.

At the time that California passed its Master Plan for higher education, the state also provided significant funding to public high schools and community colleges to provide adult education classes. The basic reason for an investment in adult education investment is economic; the state’s adults need access to continuing education of various sorts, not necessarily tied to the completion of a degree or certificate.

Funding for adult education declined by over 50% during the Great Recession, spurring California officials to begin rethinking the state’s approach. Spearheaded by Governor Jerry Brown, lawmakers called for a transition to a system of regional partnerships for this purpose. In 2013 the state budget agreement stabilized adult ed funding and set a two-year timeline for the implementation of these partnerships.

Today, though funding for adult education has been greatly reduced, about one million adult students per year still enroll in adult education courses through public schools, community colleges, and various community providers. Over a third of these adult students are studying English as a second language, with the support of federal funding.

One important goal of California’s adult education system is to give a second chance to young adults who have not graduated from high school. For example, the system offers students classes to prepare for the General Educational Development (GED®) test or the HiSET®. In 2017, 300,540 Americans took the GED test, and 79 percent passed.

What comes after high school for your student?

The California State PTA provides resources to help plan for college, including info on application and testing assistance, school research, and financial aid.

Updated August 2021

Quiz

Which ONE of the following is the biggest piece of California’s college system, in terms of student population?

Answer the question correctly and earn a ticket.
Learn More

Questions & Comments

To comment or reply, please sign in .

user avatar
Carol Kocivar December 6, 2023 at 3:00 pm
College Access: Dec. 2023 Public Policy Institute Report
About three in five Californians enroll in college just after high school.
⊲ Recent data show that just over 62% of the 435,000 students who graduated from high school in spring 2020 enrolled in college within 12 months, down from a recent peak of 67% in 2017–18.
⊲ Enrollment rates are below average for low-income (54%) and English Learner students (42%). Just over half (55%) of Black and Latino graduates enrolled in college, compared to 68% of white students and 86% of Asian students. Women (nearly 68%) are significantly more likely to enroll than men (57%).
⊲ College enrollment rates were highest among graduates from the Bay Area (72%), and lowest in the Inland Empire and San Joaquin Valley (53%). Southern California (67%), the Central Coast (also 67%), and the far north (59%) were close to the statewide average.

https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/college-access-in-california.pdf
user avatar
Carol Kocivar March 27, 2023 at 6:06 pm
Charts show UC admissions rates for every high school in California
https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2023/uc-admissions-acceptance-rates/
user avatar
Carol Kocivar January 28, 2023 at 10:22 pm
The University of California now provides online information about admissions by source of schools. These tables present information on UC’s Applicants, Admits, and Enrollees.
Mean high school and transfer GPA are presented for freshman and transfer applicants, admits, and enrollees respectively by source school.

You an find it here: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/information-center/admissions-source-school
user avatar
Jenny Greene August 13, 2020 at 3:54 pm
The statistic that only 12 of the 100 9th graders in the graphic will earn a 4 year degree is shocking. My husband and I both have advanced degrees and I assume that most of the people we know in our community have at least a 4-year degree. That either shows me what kind of bubble I live in or a false understanding of our peers, or both.
user avatar
Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh December 7, 2019 at 4:02 pm
With all the recent talk, and I mean within the past five years at least, about college no longer being necessary to many students, I am wondering how many students feel that college is simply not necessary in terms of the expenditure versus the potential yield.
user avatar
vandrm February 6, 2020 at 4:17 pm
I believe that the more correct way of looking at higher education in the last five years in regards to a student's career choice would be that a 4 year degree is not necessarily as important as it used to be considered for student success. Many Community Colleges offer numerous 2 year certificates for students to prepare them for well paying jobs in construction trades, graphic printing, and renewable energy maintenance just to name a few off the cuff.
user avatar
Susannah Baxendale March 28, 2019 at 10:35 am
I was saddened to see how late in the game amelioration of the transfer process from community colleges to the UC and CSU systems was addressed. If it weren't for the community colleges and transfers, I wonder if the percentage of 9th graders graduating would be even lower than it is.
user avatar
Jeff Camp August 9, 2018 at 2:47 pm
The 2018-19 budget includes $46 million for California College Promise programs, which fund community colleges to work with high schools in ways that increase college-going and college completion. More here.
user avatar
Carol Kocivar April 8, 2018 at 11:42 am
Looking for ideas on what communities can do to support the success in more students attending and completing college?
West Ed has published profiles of the College Promise in California that highlight important strategies.

Find out more
user avatar
g4joer6 April 22, 2015 at 11:41 pm
First time I've heard the stats at the beginning of this lesson. Very interesting to learn that 16 out of 100 graduate from college.
user avatar
Caryn-C September 18, 2017 at 10:44 am
Agreed. And 2 out of 100 African American boys? That's a tragic and terrifying statistic.
user avatar
Brenda Etterbeek June 15, 2019 at 2:12 pm
Agree. These stats are scary.
©2003-2024 Jeff Camp
Design by SimpleSend

Sharing is caring!

Password Reset

Change your mind? Sign In.

Search all lesson and blog content here.

Welcome Back!

Login with Email

We will send your Login Link to your email
address. Click on the link and you will be
logged into Ed100. No more passwords to
remember!

Share via Email

Get on Board!
Learn how California's School System works so you can make a difference.
Our free lessons are short, easy to read, and up to date. Each lesson you complete earns a ticket for your school. You could win $1,000 for your PTA.

Join Ed100

Already a member? Login

Or Create Account