Blocked by CSU, community college bachelor’s degrees closer to approval following new analysis
Michael Burke
December 23, 2025
A state-commissioned report says location is important for starting new community college bachelor’s degrees, a win for those campuses.
A new analysis appears likely to bolster the attempts of some California community colleges to start offering bachelor’s degrees, despite protests from state universities that claim their own programs would be harmed.
For more than two years, proposed degrees from seven community colleges have been effectively blocked by California State University campuses, citing a state law that allows them to object to programs they believe duplicate their own degrees. The degrees would add to more than 50 others that are already offered at community colleges across the state.
While officials emphasize that no final decisions have been made to approve the blocked degrees, a recently issued state-commissioned report sides with the community colleges on a pivotal point. The report by the nonprofit organization WestEd suggests that the location of a community college is a relevant factor and that bachelor’s degrees should not necessarily be considered duplicative if the objecting CSU campus is not geographically close to the community college.
