California community college students earning degrees or transferring increased in 2019-20

The number of California community college students who earned degrees or credentials and the number of students who transferred to University of California or California State University campuses increased in 2019-20, the community college system’s chancellor said Tuesday.

Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the chancellor overseeing California’s 116 community colleges, told the system’s Board of Governors that the number of students transferring to UC or CSU increased by 4% in 2019-20. At the same time, the number of students who received a credential increased by about 3% and the number of students who earned an Associate Degree for Transfer went up by 13%.

“We will continue to work with our partner institutions to streamline the transfer process and to improve fairness and transparency, resulting in more students who meet all the requirements of transfer successfully transitioning to four-year colleges and universities,” Pamela Haynes, president of the Board of Governors, said in a statement.

Data on transfer rates and the number of students earning degrees or credentials during the current 2020-21 academic year is not yet available. The system has experienced a steep decline in enrollment across many of its colleges due to the pandemic.