What are my college options?

Learning Target: Understand post-high school 2-year and 4-year options (with an emphasis on California colleges and universities).

At 4-year colleges and universities you can earn a Bachelor’s Degree. Depending on your major, your Bachelor’s Degree can be in Arts (BA) or Science (BS).
There are thousands of public and private 4-year university options across the country.
California has two large public university systems:

In state (California(link is external)) and out of state privates universities - some are highly selective and some are not
Out of state public universities - some are highly selective and some are not
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)(link is external) - some are highly selective and some are not
All Women’s College & Universities (link is external)

California has more than 100 Community Colleges. At a California Community College, you can earn a Career Education Certificate(link is external), an Associate's Degree(link is external) (AA), or an Associate’s Degree for Transfer(link is external) (AST). Some colleges even offer a Bachelor’s Degree Program (link is external)with a direct pipeline for employment.
To enroll at a community college you need to be 18 years old OR have a high school diploma (or equivalent).
From a community college you can transfer to any 4-year university! California Community Colleges have lots of programs to help you transfer! There are established transfer programs to the following types of universities:

Research colleges and universities(link is external)
Learn more about the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) (link is external)program allowing you to attend out-of-state colleges and pay no more than 150 percent of resident tuition! Non-resident tuition can sometimes exceed 300 percent of resident rates!
Explore the Community College Transfer Tool(link is external)!
Speak with your guardian(s) and school counselor about enrolling in community college classes while you are in high school through concurrent or dual enrollment programs(link is external). These are free to CA high school students and taking 4-year transferable courses will make you more competitive when you apply to a four-year college. Community college-level courses give you a bump on your high school GPA (like Advanced Placement AP classes) and can help you meet your Bachelor's degree requirements.

Identify local community colleges, California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), and private universities near you. Plan an informal visit (walk/picnic through campus) or schedule a tour!
Meet with your child’s school counselor and ask about opportunities for your child to enroll in community college courses while in high school (during the year and/or summer).

Identifique los colegios comunitarios locales, la Universidad Estatal de California (CSU), la Universidad de California (UC) y las universidades privadas cercanas. ¡Planifique una visita informal (caminata/picnic por el campus) o programe un recorrido!
Reúnase con el/la consejero/a escolar de su estudiante y pregunte sobre las oportunidades para que su estudiante se inscriba en cursos de colegios comunitarios mientras está en la escuela secundaria (durante el año y/o el verano).