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California · State guide

Community college transfer in California

A complete guide to how to transfer from a community college to a university in California — including the state's 123 accredited community colleges, the major receiving universities, and the statewide articulation programs that govern credit transfer.

123
Community colleges
45%
Avg transfer rate
$4,551
In-state tuition / yr
37%
Completion rate

How transfer works in California

Two-year colleges in California serve as the primary on-ramp to a bachelor's degree for tens of thousands of in-state residents each year. The state's 123 accredited community colleges enroll a median of 5,351 students each, charge an average of $4,551 per year for in-state residents, and transfer roughly 45% of incoming degree-seeking students into a four-year institution within six years.

Like most U.S. states, California coordinates community-college-to-university transfers through a combination of statewide articulation agreements, common course-numbering schemes, and institution-specific transfer pathways. A student who completes the state's transfer-oriented associate degree — typically an AA or AS bearing a "transfer" or "university parallel" designation — usually receives junior standing at the receiving public university, with all general-education requirements considered satisfied.

Statewide articulation programs in California

Several formal agreements govern how credits move between California community colleges and the state's four-year institutions. Understanding which one applies to your intended major is the single most important planning step in your first semester.

California Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)

Min GPA: 2 · California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office

AA-T or AS-T from any California Community College guarantees admission to a California State University in a similar major with junior standing.

UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (UC TAG)

Min GPA: 3.2 · University of California Office of the President

A signed TAG with one of six participating UC campuses guarantees admission for California Community College students who meet GPA and course requirements.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

Min GPA: 2 · California Intersegmental Articulation Council

Completing IGETC at a California Community College satisfies all lower-division GE requirements at any UC or CSU campus.

Top receiving universities for California transfer students

The most common 2+2 destinations for community college students in California are the state's flagship and regional public universities. Each has a published transfer-admission policy with a minimum GPA, a credit-hour cap, and an application deadline distinct from the freshman cycle.

UniversitySystemMin transfer GPAApplication window
University of California, Berkeley University of California 3 Nov 30 (fall)
University of California, Los Angeles University of California 3.2 Nov 30 (fall)
University of California, Davis University of California 2.8 Nov 30 (fall)
University of California, Irvine University of California 2.8 Nov 30 (fall)
University of California, San Diego University of California 2.8 Nov 30 (fall)
California State University, Long Beach California State University 2 Nov 30 (fall)
San Diego State University California State University 2 Nov 30 (fall)
San Francisco State University California State University 2 Nov 30 (fall)

Costs and aid in California

Community college tuition in California averages $4,551 per year for in-state residents and $11,151 for out-of-state students. Most colleges layer the federal Pell Grant — worth up to about $7,400 per year for the lowest-income students — with state need-based aid, institutional scholarships, and federal Direct Loans where required. Roughly two of every three community college students in the state receive some form of grant aid, and a substantial minority pay nothing at all out of pocket for tuition once aid is applied.

The practical playbook is the same in every California city: pick a target four-year institution before you finish your first semester at the community college, find that school's articulation agreement on the receiving registrar's website, and lock in your course selections accordingly. Skipping this step is the single most common reason transfer students lose credit on the way to the bachelor's degree — surveys regularly find that around forty percent of transfer credit is wasted nationally, almost always because the student picked courses without checking the articulation table first.

Largest community colleges in California

Hartnell College

~7,741 students · transfer rate 44%

Porterville College

~7,682 students · transfer rate 51%

Lemoore College

~7,658 students · transfer rate 51%

Los Medanos College

~7,657 students · transfer rate 38%

College of Alameda

~7,620 students · transfer rate 37%

Citrus College

~7,565 students · transfer rate 42%

Plan your California transfer by program area

Each program-area page below combines California's state-specific articulation rules with the typical two-year coursework for that major. Use it to confirm prerequisites and the most common receiving universities for your intended bachelor's.

Every community college in California