California is home to the largest higher education system in the United States.

• California colleges and universities account for 15% of full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment of all higher education institutions in the United States.
• About 83% of college students in California attend a public institution, with nearly half enrolled in the community college system.
• California’s master plan for higher education lays out the goals for the state’s three public segments: University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC).
• In 2024–25 California spent just over $23 billion in state funds to support its higher education institutions and financial aid system, accounting for about 7% of the state’s budget.

The University of California is the state’s primary academic research institution.

• UC enrolls nearly 300,000 students in 10 campuses—9 that serve undergraduates—and provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs.
• In 2023–24, UC conferred nearly 63,000 bachelor’s degrees and over 23,000 graduate degrees.
• Average annual tuition for resident full-time students is $15,588 but tuition will see increases tied to inflation for the next few years.
• About 37% of UC undergraduates are first-generation college students. Compared to the population of California high school graduates, Asian students are overrepresented and Latino students are underrepresented.

The California State University is the largest public four-year higher education system in the United States.

• The CSU has 23 campuses and enrolls nearly half a million students; in 2023–24, the system conferred about 104,000 bachelor’s degrees and 20,000 graduate degrees.
• Average annual tuition for full-time resident students is $7,500 including campus fees, but tuition will increase by 6% each year for the next three years.
• About one third of CSU students are first-generation college goers; the racial and ethnic mix of students at CSU roughly mirrors that of public high school graduates in the state.

The California Community Colleges serve more than half of college students in the state.

• The CCC is the largest public higher education system in the United States, with a total enrollment of nearly 1.9 million students; enrollment has rebounded somewhat since declines during the pandemic.
• In 2024–25, the system conferred just over 170,000 credit bearing certificates, over 208,000 associate degrees, and 373 bachelor’s degrees.
• Average annual tuition for full-time California resident students is $1,380, the lowest in the nation.
• CCC enrollment is racially and ethnically similar to high school graduates in the state; 35% of students are first-generation college students.

Private colleges and universities play an important role.

• There are about 150 private nonprofit colleges in California, which produce about 20% of the bachelor’s degrees conferred annually in the state. Annual tuition averages about $50,000, but tuition varies widely.
• About seventy four-year, for-profit private colleges in California serve nearly half a million undergraduate and graduate students. They represent about 4% of California’s undergraduate population.

Transfer between systems is crucial to California students attaining a bachelor’s degree.

• Over half of California high school graduates start at a community college (52% in 2024–25)—a higher share than most states, making transfer between institutions especially important.
• Three quarters of community college students state their goal is to transfer, but only about 28% of this group does so within six years. However, the vast majority of successful transfers complete a baccalaureate degree.
• Most transfers are to public institutions—about one in four UC undergraduates and one in three CSU undergraduates are transfer students from a community college. About 14,000 transferred to private colleges in 2021.
• Regional and statewide efforts, including the Associate Degree for Transfer and dual admissions programs, aim to streamline transfer.