Making Room for Success: Addressing Capacity Shortfalls at California’s Universities

Reforms undertaken by California in the past decade to improve academic performance and prepare students to attend four-year universities are paying off: More students are graduating from high school than ever before, and more of them have completed college preparatory classes. In addition, growing numbers of community college students are earning the credits needed to transfer and continue their higher education.

But even as we celebrate that success, tens of thousands of qualified students are being turned away from California’s public universities each year. The University of California and California State University are unable to accommodate the increased demand. The capacity shortfall has become a crisis. Additional challenges compound the problem presented by a lack of physical space and seats for students. Universities need sufficient faculty to cover course loads, and students need adequate supports such as counseling and financial aid. Time to degree and clear degree pathways also play a role in whether students can get to and move through higher education. Statewide
and regionally, collaborative, accelerated, and sustained efforts are needed to increase educational attainment and job opportunities.

By failing to serve an increasing number of eligible students, California is squandering hard-won gains and undermining public trust. Improvements at all levels of the state’s education system have been driven by recognition that the state’s future prosperity depends on closing equity gaps and increasing the number of students earning four-year degrees.