LOS ANGELES (KNX) — New data released Wednesday showed tens of thousands of eligible California students were being shut out of the state’s universities.
Nearly 50% of graduates of California high schools technically qualify for admission to the state’s two public university systems, the University of California and California State University. The figure marked more than a 30% increase since 2008.
Alongside that growth, there has been a spike in applicants to both systems, with applications to UC schools up from 17% of graduates in 2001 to 25% in 2020; 27% to 37% for CSU. The average GPA of in-state students admitted to UC schools is over 4.0, and 70% of CSU campuses have more applicants than seats for some or all majors.
The Campaign for College Opportunity, which released Wednesday’s number, has called on state officials to develop a plan for addressing the problem. Its recommendations included increasing statewide enrollment by as many as 44,000 students, increasing state funding to support expanded enrollment, implementing financial incentives to attract students to less popular campuses, and even creating new UC and CSU branches at community college sites.
“Our state is in dire need of a new roadmap that provides greater access to [UC and CSU], intentionally closes the racial/ethnic gaps that persist in access and success in higher education, and ensures every Californian regardless of race/ethnicity, zip code, or income is given a true equitable opportunity to go to college and graduate with a degree,” the report said.
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