Efforts to help students move quickly to graduation are beginning to take effect, Cal State officials said Wednesday, with more students awarded undergraduate degrees in 2003-04 than ever before.

A total of 65,743 bachelor's degrees were handed out at Cal State's 23 campuses for the academic year 2003-04 -- up more than 4,000 from 2002-03.

Most of the campuses in Los Angeles and Orange counties mirrored the trend:

Cal State Fullerton noted the largest year-over-year increase in the Southland, 578 to 5,636.

Cal State Pomona, 265 to 3,200.

Cal State Long Beach, from 5,055 to 5,194.

Cal State Dominguez Hills from 1,775 to 1,851.

Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Northridge both bucked the trend, with drops of 126 and 129, respectively.

Statewide, the total number of master's degrees also increased. The record total of 16,860 reflected an increase of 1,870 year over year.

At Southern California campuses, most schools awarded more master's degrees as well:

Cal State Dominguez Hills: 1,173, up 351;

Cal State Long Beach: 1,128, up 236;

Cal State Fullerton: 1,036 to 1,242;

Cal State Los Angeles, up 44 year over year.

The other Southern California campuses experienced a drop: CSUN, 1048 degrees, down 21 from the previous year; Pomona, 329 from 346.

Statewide, the combined total of bachelor's and master's degrees rose by nearly 8 percent -- the largest increase in three decades, according to Cal State.