from left sacramento state president Luke Wood sign agreement with Sierra College president
Story Transfer Student

CSU Agreements with California Community Colleges Support Transfer Student Success

Arvin Valmores

Bachelor’s degrees become more accessible to transfer students through new CSU and CCC partnerships.

from left sacramento state president Luke Wood sign agreement with Sierra College president

Sacramento State President Luke Wood, left, and Sierra College Superintendent and President Willy Duncan​ sign an agreement to develop the Placer Center, a satellite campus in Placer County. (Photo courtesy Sacramento State/Andrea Price)

 

The California State University and California Community Colleges​ have made strides together to enhance and refine students’ pursuit of higher education. Partnerships between CSUs and CCCs can streamline the transfer process for community college students through guaranteed admissions, dual enrollment and clearer degree pathways. These efforts make four-year degrees more accessible to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds across the state.

Learn about some of the new partnerships the CSU campuses have made with California Community Colleges.

Sacramento State's Placer Center

In 2024, the presidents of Sacramento State and Sierra College signed an agreement to develop the Placer Center, a satellite campus in Placer County that will be a shared learning space for students planning to transfer from Sierra College to Sacramento State. The campus is expected to open in 2028.

“Engaging with students early in​ their educational journey will enable us to create a seamless transition from one institution to another, eliminating barriers many students encounter as they transition into a four-year institution,” said Sacramento State President Luke Wo​od​.

As the first “communiversity” in California, the 301-acre Placer Center will offer concurrent enrollment and is expected to serve 12,000 full-time students. Students can take classes offered by both institutions, and the campus will provide shared financial aid, counseling and student support services.

Faculty and staff experts from both schools are developing academic pathways for the campus, including new colleges for advanced hospitality, wellness and longevity, sustainability, and forensic science and technology.

Sacramento State's Black Honors College

At the CSU’s Juneteenth Symposium, Sacramento State and 16 community colleges created a guaranteed pathway for students looking to transfer to Sacramento State’s new Black Honors College (BHC). The BHC is the nation’s first college designed to offer a comprehensive curriculum on the Black and African American experience.

Through this partnership, students who meet the requirements will receive guaranteed admission into the BHC. The first cohort will matriculate in the spring 2025 term.

“Too often, students from California want to go out of state for college because they believe that public education in California is failing them,” said Aniesha Mitchell, Sacramento State’s vice president for Student Affairs. “Unlike anything else in the state, the Black Honors College is specifically designed to meet the needs and aspirations of Black students. We are intentionally cultivating the courageous leaders of tomorrow."

On August 8, Sacramento State celebrated the inaugural class of the BHC, featuring a White House representative and a congratulatory video from former President Barack Obama.​

San Diego State

Beginning in fall 2025, students from Kumeyaay Community College—located on the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation, a federally-recognized reservation—will be granted guaranteed admission to San Diego State. The partnership aims to break down the barriers to higher education that Native and Indigenous students face.

“Native and Indigenous communities have faced historical injustices, forced assimilation and the suppression of their cultures and languages,” SDSU President Adela de la Torre said. “As institutions of higher learning, it is our duty to proactively work towards a different paradigm: one of access, one of healing, equity and, ultimately, self-empowerment."

Students must earn a minimum 2.5 GPA and meet prerequisite requirements for their selected major to receive guaranteed admission. SDSU aims to enroll the first cohort of transfer students from Kumeyaay Community College in fall 2025.

In addition, SDSU will offer courses on Kumeyaay language, history and culture within the Department of American Indian Studies as part of the agreement.

Sonoma State

Sonoma State launched its Guaranteed Admissions program in 2023, partnering with local school districts and community colleges to create pathways for students to receive guaranteed admission beginning in the fall 2024 term.

The program focuses on offering equal access to education for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds and creates a path for both high school and community college students to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Sonoma State. In addition to guaranteed admission, the program gives prospective students early access to apply for scholarships.

“Through our Guaranteed Admission partnerships, we can work together to increase access to higher education, building California’s workforce and improving the lives of our students and their families in our region and throughout California,” said Ed Mills, SSU vice president of Strategic Enrollment.

The initiative currently includes Napa Valley College, Santa Rosa Junior College, Solano Community College District, Mendocino-Lake Community College District and Marin Community College District. Sonoma State is also in discussions to add more colleges and school districts.

Chico State

Chico State and seven community colleges partnered in 2024 to formalize dual admission and simplify the transfer process for students interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Chico State..

Students from all seven colleges are guaranteed admission to Chico State if they meet eligibility requirements and apply within the deadline. Chico State will also extend access to its dual admission program to community college students who were denied admission at the end of their high school career through the Transfer Success Pathway.

“Chico State has long been proud and honored to be the comprehensive university of the North State, providing an exceptional and affordable education in an accessible and familiar campus for students across our 12-county service region,” said Chico State President Steve Perez. “We want to ensure that any student who wants a Chico State degree can earn one and build off the remarkable educations provided by our community colleges. For thousands of students every year, a community college is the right choice for starting their path to a four-year degree and we want to support them in taking that next step."

The agreement includes Butte College, College of the Siskiyous, Feather River College, Lassen Community College, Shasta College, Woodland Community College and Yuba College.

CSU Dominguez Hills

CSU Dominguez Hills now offers Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) students guaranteed admission through a new agreement if students meet the minimum CSU requirements. LACCD is the largest community college district in the U.S., and this agreement allows transfer students to experience a smooth transition to CSUDH.

In addition to offering guaranteed admission, CSUDH will expand its number of Associate Degree for Transfer offerings for all community college students. CSUDH will also use new data-sharing practices to help students who were initially denied admission to CSUDH become transfer-ready while attending LACCD institutions.​

“Our job in our community college systems and in our state universities, and even in our research universities, is to clear the pathway so that our students have unparalleled access to education,” said CSUDH President Thomas Parham. “We are being entrusted by this community to provide students with an educational experience that we are so proud of at California State University, Dominguez Hills. We want you to know that we’ll nurture the souls that you pass on to us."

Fresno ​State

Fresno City College (FCC) students will now have an easier time transferring to Fresno State to pursue a bachelor’s degree through the City-to-State Transfer Program. The program will reduce matriculation barriers for transfer students, strengthen outreach to prospective students, provide a joint transfer counselor to help students navigate the transfer process and host a summer transfer experience event that includes undergraduate research projects.

“In partnership with Fresno City College, we look forward to designing programs that cater to the needs of future transfer students,” said Phong Yang, Fresno State associate vice president for strategic enrollment management. “The City-to-State pathway increases access for future Fresno State transfer students to advising and support at a convenient location for them. We look forward to creating a more seamless transfer experience to the university."

This three-year agreement aims to increase the average number of Fresno City College transfers from 900 students per year to more than 1,200.


To learn more about transferring to the CSU from a California Community College, check out the Transfer Success Pathway and Associate Degree for Transfer​.