Community colleges would be able to award far more bachelor's degrees if Newsom approves

Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times on Sep 1, 2026

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Lawmakers late Monday night sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a pair of bills that would make it easier for community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees — a significant reshaping of higher education opportunities in California — but the legislation shares similarities with other measures Newsom has vetoed.

The latest bills would replace the state's current ban on community colleges offering any bachelor's degree already taught at California State University or University of California campuses. In its place, they set up a system based on regional workforce needs and community college performance.

Each takes effect only if the other becomes law.

The bills received a key endorsement from CSU, which has resisted past efforts out of concern that far less costly community college degrees could siphon students from its campuses.

Newsom has not signaled his view. He has rejected previous attempts since 2024 to let community colleges grant nursing bachelor's degrees, when he warned such moves could cause conflict among the state's three higher education systems.

Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento) wrote SB 960. Assemblymembers David Alvarez (D-San Diego) and Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey) authored AB 2694. The bills mainly affect CSU, which awards far more bachelor's degrees than UC and a smaller share of master's and doctoral degrees.

Under the bills, a community college could offer a bachelor's degree that overlaps with a nearby CSU program if that CSU program has been hard to get into for years. It could do the same if state labor officials find a local job shortage the CSU program isn't filling. Community colleges with strong track records in graduating and transferring students would be allowed to offer more new bachelor's degrees than colleges with weaker records.

If Newsom approves the bills, they would take effect Jan. 1, 2028.

In an interview, Cabaldon described community colleges as central to closing workforce gaps, calling them "one of the more nimble parts of our higher education system in California." He said the bills aim to let the colleges help meet unmet workforce needs while keeping "a laser focus" on their core mission of associate degrees, certificates and transfer.

In a statement, Alvarez said the state's higher education system needs to catch up with its students. "California built the finest public higher education system in the world," he said. But he said a division of responsibilities between state higher education systems developed in the 1960s needed to match modern-day needs.

"Many are working adults, parents, caregivers, and first-generation students who are rooted in their communities and cannot relocate or commute long distances to earn a degree." Transfer pathways, he added, "will remain essential, and CSU and UC will always be the backbone of baccalaureate education in California."

Cabaldon said both systems raised concerns about earlier versions of this year's bills, including fears of "1,000s of new bachelor's degree programs being offered all over the place." Both systems softened or withdrew their opposition as the bills got closer to passing, he said.

In a statement, CSU said it "appreciates the thoughtful, student-centered approach to expanding community colleges' ability to offer bachelor's degrees."

"When there is a clear workforce need, the bills allow for the duplication of existing CSU bachelor's degree programs when local students do not have reasonable access to the CSU's programs in their region," the statement said. "Critically, it also maintains the importance of California's successful transfer pathway and encourages the CSU and community colleges to continue to work together, leveraging each other's strengths to serve all students to the fullest."

UC formally dropped its opposition to AB 2694 on Aug. 28, following an agreement between Alvarez and Cabaldon, the university said. It took no position on SB 960.

In a statement, UC said it wants to work with lawmakers to update the state's 1960s Master Plan for Higher Education.

"UC now enrolls more than six times the number of students it had when the Master Plan was first adopted," the statement said. "Working together to re-imagine this framework for today's higher education needs will allow us to build a system where every student can succeed in their education and careers while maintaining the original values of the plan — accessibility, affordability, and intersegmental coordination."

Existing law allows community colleges to create up to 30 new bachelor's degree programs a year if they don't duplicate CSU, UC or private four-year offerings. More than 60 have been approved under that law, in fields including respiratory care, cybersecurity and water resource management.

Cabaldon framed the bills as ones about statewide educational and career options. "Fundamentally, this is about the opportunities that are available to Californians of all ages," he said.