Fast Facts

Seven in 10 of California’s nurses receive their training at a California community college.
Eight in 10 police officers, firefighters and EMTs are trained at a California community college.
Nearly half of students earning a bachelor’s degree from a University of California campus in science, technology, engineering and mathematics transferred from a California community college.
Twenty-nine percent of University of California graduates and 51% of California State University graduates started at a community college.

The California Community Colleges is the largest provider of workforce training in the nation.
California taxpayers receive $4.50 for every $1 invested in students who graduate from a California community college.
Students earning a degree or certificate from a California community college nearly double their earnings within three years.
Attending or graduating from a California Community College nearly doubles your chance of finding a job compared to those who failed to complete high school.
Occupations that typically require workers to have an associate degree for entry have an average annual wage of almost $53,000, compared to an average annual wage of $36,100 for workers in high school-level occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Employment in associate and postsecondary non degree-level occupations is projected to grow 11% in the 10-year period ending in 2026, faster than the 7% average projected for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Public Policy Institute of California estimates California will face a shortage of 1 million holders of college degrees and certificates needed to fuel its workforce by 2025.

With more than 2.1 million students at 115 colleges, the California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the country.
One in every four community college students in the nation attend a California community college.
One in every four Californians age 18-24 are enrolled in a California Community College.
The number of course sections offered by the California Community Colleges has jumped from 329,122 in 2012-13 to 384,377 in 2016-17, an increase of nearly 17%.

Published February 2020

*The information and statistics presented on this page have been shared via California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO.edu)