Newsom Signs Two Bills Letting California Community Colleges Add Bachelor's Programs From 2028, Tiered From 2 to 12 by Performance
SACRAMENTO — California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 960 and Assembly Bill 2694, allowing California community colleges to expand their bachelor's degree programs beginning January 1, 2028. According to The Skyline View's October 14 report, colleges will be placed into five tiers based on graduation and transfer rates, with higher-performing schools allowed to add up to 12 new bachelor's programs and lower tiers as few as two; existing bachelor's programs will not count toward the limit.
The laws also loosen the previous ban on duplicating degrees offered by California State University (CSU) and the University of California: duplication of a CSU degree is permitted if the university is outside the local region, or if it has admitted less than 75 percent of its local California community college transfer students for three consecutive years.
California Community Colleges representatives objected to the tier amendment, added four days before the final vote, arguing it ranks districts against one another rather than letting them work together on workforce needs, and may hinder the colleges whose students most need bachelor's programs. Newsom had previously vetoed several community-college bachelor's pilot bills, saying the colleges should focus on their current programs.
Sources: The Skyline View, October 14, 2026; California Legislative Information (SB 960, AB 2694)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Berkeley City College。维基共享资源 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · 作者：Noah Salzman
