Public postsecondary education: community colleges: statewide baccalaureate degree program

The law ties new community-college bachelor's degrees to regional labor demand while protecting access to associate degrees, certificates, noncredit courses, and lower-division classes. It also creates additional review when proposed programs overlap with California State University or University of California offerings.

What the law does ​

• Requires districts to document unmet current or projected workforce needs and consult public universities on partnerships that expand bachelor's access without unnecessary duplication.
• Limits each district to three bachelor's-program applications per academic year and caps the number of programs a district may offer based on student completion and transfer performance, with no more than 10 new programs at once.
• Allows a district to offer a substantially similar California State University program in its service area only when that campus's eligible transfer applicants had an acceptance rate below 75% for three consecutive years.
• Requires the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development to assess workforce need and program capacity after a California State University duplication objection; a negative determination bars a similar application for five years.
• Preserves a separate resolution process for University of California objections and bars fully online community-college programs when UC or CSU offers a substantially similar fully online program.
• Requires annual public reporting to the Legislature on approved programs, enrollment, student outcomes, funding, partnerships, and objections.

Who it affects ​

• Community college districts seeking or operating bachelor's degree programs.
• Students seeking community-college bachelor's, associate-degree, transfer, certificate, noncredit, and lower-division programs.
• California State University and University of California campuses reviewing potentially duplicative programs.

Context ​

The changes take effect January 1, 2028, only if SB 960 is enacted and becomes effective by January 1, 2027.