The most selective of three public systems for postsecondary education in California. Those three systems include: two-year community colleges, the four-year California State University (CSU) system, and the most selective University of California (UC) system. In 2006 UC had ten campuses with an enrollment of more than 208,000. UC traditionally accepts the top 12.5% of high school students and qualified community college transfers. Eligibility for high school students to enter is based on the completion of 15 one-year college prep courses (referred to as a-g courses), high school grades, performance on college admissions exams, advanced coursework taken, and personal attributes. Beginning in fall 2001, the top 4% of students in the graduating class of every high school are eligible for UC if they have completed 11 specific college prep courses by the end of their junior year. Under this program, called Eligibility in the Local Context, students are admitted to a specific campus, though not necessarily their campus of choice. Beginning in fall 2003, the Dual Admissions policy gives students who rank between 4% and 12.5% at their high schools provisional admission to a specific UC campus after first attending a community college. The student must also have completed any nine college prep courses by the end of 11th grade. These two policies are meant to encourage students who have excelled academically in disadvantaged high schools to attend UC.
