Donate
PPIC Logo Independent, objective, nonpartisan research

Search Results

Filters Sort by:
Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas

More than four in ten parents say their children have fallen behind academically during the pandemic. While most Californians approve of the way Governor Newsom is handling public K–12 education, many believe its quality has declined over the past few years.

Report

Remedial Education Reforms at California’s Community Colleges: Early Evidence on Placement and Curricular Reforms

By Olga Rodriguez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson

California’s community colleges are in the midst of a major transformation of developmental education. Several colleges have been experimenting with placement and curricular reforms for some time. An examination of the efforts of these early implementers can shed light on the potential impact of system-wide reforms on student outcomes.

Report

Higher Education and Economic Opportunity in California

By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

The pandemic and its economic impact have highlighted longstanding social inequities: low-income and less-educated workers are bearing the brunt of both the virus and the downturn. Now more than ever, policymakers and higher education leaders must find avenues for low income and underrepresented students to access the benefits of a college degree.

Report

Coordinating California’s Higher Education System

By Paul Warren

Establishing an independent council to provide leadership, expertise, and coordination across sectors of higher education would help California better meet student and workforce needs. This brief report outlines key considerations for building a successful council.

Fact Sheet

California’s Higher Education System

By Kevin Cook

The nation’s largest public system of higher learning is in California. Nearly 80% of state students attend a public institution, with over half enrolling in community college—making transfer into a four-year college a key path to a bachelor’s degree. Funds to support higher education and financial aid account for about 7% of the state’s budget.

Report

Higher Education in California: Making College Affordable

By Hans Johnson, Jacob Jackson, Courtney Lee

After doubling during the Great Recession, tuition at California’s public universities has leveled off. However, non-tuition costs are significant, especially for students from low-income families. State financial aid programs focus mostly on tuition, so students must cover costs that add up to thousands of dollars.

Report

Higher Education in California: Institutional Costs

By Hans Johnson, Patrick Murphy, Margaret Weston, Kevin Cook

Over the past 20 years, in-state tuition at both the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) has more than tripled. These tuition increases have led many to believe that spending in the state’s public higher education systems is out of control. However, a closer look reveals that institutional expenditures in the two systems—including faculty salaries and benefits, the largest budget category—have not increased significantly. Our evaluation of both revenues and expenditures shows that recent tuition increases have been driven by dramatic reductions in state subsidies to UC and CSU. In the past, General Fund contributions covered the majority of educational costs. Today, students (often with help from federal, state, institutional, and private grants) pay most of these costs through tuition and associated fees. Better budget data could help policymakers monitor costs and align higher education funding with state goals. But it is clear that tuition at California’s public universities has risen much more rapidly than the cost of providing higher education.

Fact Sheet

Immigrants and Education in California

By Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

Educational attainment among California’s recent immigrants has risen markedly. Immigrants now make up 31% of California workers with at least a bachelor’s degree. However, immigrants also comprise an outsized share of workers with little formal education.

Search results are limited to 100 items. Please use the Refine Results tool if you are not finding what you are looking for.