by Mikhail Zinshteyn
In the past two years, Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed three bills that would have expanded the number of bachelor’s degrees community colleges can award. Lawmakers are now backing a fourth effort, Assembly Bill 664, which passed the Assembly on Jan. 26, setting up another possible clash with the governor.
Newsom supports expanding access to bachelor’s degrees but has opposed adding community college baccalaureate programs outside the process set in a 2021 law he signed with lawmakers. That law allows community colleges to develop up to 30 bachelor’s degree programs per academic year, as long as the degrees do not duplicate programs offered by the University of California and California State University.
Since the law passed, disputes over what counts as duplication have stalled more than a dozen proposed community college bachelor’s programs because of Cal State opposition. Both UC and CSU oppose AB 664, arguing it could weaken the 2021 framework and lead to duplication of university programs. University officials say the review process is meant to prevent inefficient use of public resources and unnecessary overlap across systems.
University leaders say they are the traditional providers of bachelor’s degrees. Community colleges counter that California’s size and regional inequalities make it unrealistic to rely only on UC and CSU for four-year public options. Supporters argue students should not have to travel long distances when nearby community colleges could offer workforce-focused bachelor’s programs aligned with local employer needs. Advocates also note that many adult learners balance work and family responsibilities that make relocation or long commutes impractical.
Assemblymember David Alvarez, a Democrat from Chula Vista, said AB 664 would allow Southwestern College to create up to four additional bachelor’s programs in applied fields such as teaching English to speakers of other languages and web design. He stressed the proposal avoids traditional majors common at universities and instead targets programs tied to local labor demand. Although the bill applies only to Southwestern, Alvarez urged lawmakers to consider similar efforts where regional workforce shortages persist.
Former community college chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said expanding bachelor’s degrees at community colleges is the wrong approach. He favors sending faculty from under-enrolled Cal State campuses to teach bachelor’s programs at community college sites. Creating new programs, he said, raises costs during projected state budget deficits and can take years to launch, while employers are seeking workers now. He added that closer intersegmental collaboration could deliver degrees faster without duplicating infrastructure.
Community college bachelor’s degrees cost about $10,000 for four years, far less than UC and CSU programs. Supporters say affordability benefits students who may not qualify for tuition waivers. About 300 students earn these degrees annually, compared with roughly 160,000 graduates from UC and CSU. Research suggests community college bachelor’s degrees raise earnings compared with associate degrees but may yield slightly lower wages than university bachelor’s degrees, depending on the field. Long-term outcomes remain under study as the programs mature.
UC and CSU argue AB 664 circumvents the 2021 law by removing their ability to appeal Southwestern’s proposed programs. Since that law passed, more than 50 community college bachelor’s programs have been approved at about 40 colleges, while 16 remain pending because of duplication concerns raised by Cal State. University leaders worry the bill could set a precedent for carving out exceptions that weaken statewide coordination.
Disputes have become a flashpoint. Southwestern has sought a binational environmental architecture degree disputed by Cal Poly Pomona, which offers a similar program without a binational focus. College leaders say duplication reviews do not consider whether universities have the capacity to enroll all interested students in high-demand fields.
Geography compounds the issue. Twenty-nine of California’s 116 community colleges are at least 25 miles from a public university, serving about 150,000 students. Transfer rates are lower at these colleges, fueling arguments that community college bachelor’s programs could close access gaps. Critics counter that low completion and transfer rates point to systemic challenges that need attention regardless of degree level.
Both Alvarez and Oakley also point to Cal State’s enrollment struggles. Thirteen of its 23 campuses missed enrollment targets last year, while for-profit colleges continue enrolling tens of thousands of California students. Researcher Davis Jenkins of Columbia University said even a tenfold increase in community college bachelor’s degrees would not threaten CSU. The debate, he said, is less about competition and more about how California expands access to opportunity.
– The original text was edited to fit the space available in this edition.
