In California transferring from city or community colleges: not so simple anymore

Traditionally California has been a haven for those seeking higher education. However, a report by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy at Cal State Sacramento sheds light on the process and asserts that not nearly as many students as most would think actually successfully transfer to a California State University, a branch of the University of California or a private college. According to the Los Angeles Times, 2.7 million students currently attend a California community college. However, the report shows that in 2007-2008 only 106,000 students transferred to a four year college.

The report also projected that in 2025 the State of California will have one million unfilled jobs because the state will lack enough four year college graduates to fill them. Students from various city colleges and community colleges, such as Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College, Los Angeles Valley College, Orange Coast College and El Camino College are at loss. Many students attend these schools to prepare for an eventual transfer but find that the transfer policies vary greatly from school to school, according to the study. Some students find they completed too many credits, other complete too few and still others simply do not obtain the credits that the four year institution requires. The underlying problem seems to be that many of those affected are first generation college students who lack the resources to guide them through the process.

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