Student Success
- Seven in 10 of California’s nurses receive their training at a California community college.
- Eight in 10 police officers, firefighters and EMTs are trained at a California community college.
- Nearly half of students earning a bachelor’s degree from a University of California campus in science, technology, engineering and mathematics transferred from a California community college.
- Twenty-nine percent of University of California graduates and 51% of California State University graduates started at a community college.
Return on Investment
- The California Community Colleges is the largest provider of workforce training in the nation.
- California taxpayers receive $4.50 for every $1 invested in students who graduate from a California community college.
- Students earning a degree or certificate from a California community college nearly double their earnings within three years.
- Attending or graduating from a California Community College nearly doubles your chance of finding a job compared to those who failed to complete high school.
- Occupations that typically require workers to have an associate degree for entry have an average annual wage of almost $53,000, compared to an average annual wage of $36,100 for workers in high school-level occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Employment in associate and postsecondary nondegree-level occupations is projected to grow 11% in the 10-year period ending in 2026, faster than the 7% average projected for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In-Demand Education
- The Public Policy Institute of California estimates California will face a shortage of 1 million holders of college degrees and certificates needed to fuel its workforce by 2025.
General Facts
- With more than 2.1 million students at 115 colleges, the California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the country.
- One in every four community college students in the nation attend a California community college.
- One in every four Californians age 18-24 are enrolled in a California Community College.
- The number of course sections offered by the California Community Colleges has jumped from 329,122 in 2012-13 to 384,377 in 2016-17, an increase of nearly 17%.
Student Demographics by Ethnicity (2017-18)
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| African-American | 5.9% |
| Native American | 0.43% |
| Asian | 11.56% |
| Filipino | 2.69% |
| Hispanic | 44.54% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.41% |
| White | 25.88% |
| Multi-Ethnicity | 3.82% |
| Unknown | 4.77% |
Student Demographics by Age (2016-17)
| Age | Percentage |
|---|---|
| ≤20 | 26.8% |
| 20-24 | 30.9% |
| 25-39 | 26.9% |
| 40 and over | 15.4% |
Student Demographics by Gender (2016-17)
| Gender | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Female | 53.6% |
| Male | 45.2% |
| Unknown | 1.2% |
California Community Colleges Fee History
| Fiscal Year | Fee (per unit) |
|---|---|
| 1984-85 | $5* |
| 1991-92 | $6 |
| 1993-94 | $10 |
| 1994-95 | $13 |
| 1998-99 | $12 |
| 1999-00 | $11 |
| 2003-04 | $18 |
| 2004-05 | $26 |
| 2006-07 | $20 |
| 2009-10 | $26 |
| 2011-12 | $36 |
| Summer 2012 | $46 |
*Prior to 1984, community colleges charged no fee.
