Institutions nationwide expect enrollment declines, but the Golden State is struggling to meet demand. Freeing up seats is a start, observers say.
California faces a fairly unique problem: Its colleges and universities are quickly filling up and are beginning to struggle to educate everyone who is eligible to enroll there.
By 2030, some 144,000 state residents who are otherwise qualified to attend its public universities to earn a bachelor’s degree won’t be able to get a seat, according to a recent analysis from the College Futures Foundation. That’s nearly double the number of prospective students who met those schools’ admissions standards last year but were not granted entry due to space limitations.
“By failing to serve an increasing number of eligible students, California is squandering hard-won gains and undermining public trust,” wrote the Oakland-based group, which focuses on helping more California students earn bachelor’s degrees.
The shortage of seats in the state’s universities is especially hard on low-income students who can’t easily move for college and students in regions lacking ample postsecondary options, the authors explained.