New California Law From 2028: Community Colleges May Add 2 to 12 Bachelor's Programs a Year, Scaled by Size
Governor Newsom on September 18 signed SB 960 (Sen. Cabaldon) and AB 2694 (Asm. Alvarez). Starting January 1, 2028, the path for California community colleges to offer four-year bachelor's degrees gets much wider: each community college district - there are 115 colleges statewide - may add between 2 and 12 new bachelor's degree programs per year, depending on its size, with the largest districts at the top of the scale.
A five-tier formula based on factors such as enrollment, graduation rates and transfer rates sets each district's annual allowance; the roughly 66 community college bachelor's programs already running at 49 colleges do not count against the caps. Colleges must still show local labor-market demand for each program and may not duplicate a California State University program in the same service area; duplicating a University of California program requires written approval. The new framework replaces the statewide cap of 30 new programs a year set by AB 927 in 2021.
Some in the community college system worry that tiering by performance metrics could make it harder for smaller or lower-graduation-rate colleges to get started, while supporters say a size-based formula is fairer than one statewide quota.
What it means for families: community college tuition is far below four-year university prices. From 2028, if your local community college adds bachelor's programs in fields like nursing or information technology, students could finish a four-year degree close to home at a fraction of the cost. Note the timing: both bills were signed this September and take effect in 2028, so colleges are only beginning to plan - GSM will follow the applications as they come in. (Sources: California Legislative Information, SB 960 and AB 2694; Governor's Office signing message; California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Michael Wu 摄影 / Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0（帕萨迪纳城市学院资料图）
