College Planning Resources
COLLEGE INFORMATION
Community College
Nearby Community Colleges
Community colleges offer great options for students who want career training, plan to transfer to a four-year college, need to strengthen their academic record, or prefer to stay closer to home. They are typically much more affordable than traditional universities.
To apply, students must be a high school graduate (or equivalent) or at least 18 years old. No standardized tests are required.
Most community colleges offer:
- Associate degrees (typically completed in about two years)
- Career certificate programs in fields such as Dental Assisting, Auto Technology, Graphic Design, Fire Technology, Engineering Technology, and more
Transfer Benefits
California community colleges are a strong pathway to UC and CSU campuses. Benefits include:
- Priority admission consideration for California community college transfer students
- Transfer agreements that help students transition smoothly
- Courses that fulfill UC/CSU lower-division and general education requirements
- Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT), which can guarantee CSU admission at the junior level in selected majors
Cost Savings
Students can save thousands in tuition and fees by completing their first 60 transferable units at a community college before transferring to a UC, CSU, or private university.
Four-Year College
The state of California has two four-year public school systems: the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems.
- A-G Course List Search - Find out which LHS classes meet CSU/ UC requirements.
- CSU-UC Comparison of Admission Requirements for Freshman Admission
Public College Systems of California
California State University (CSU)
The California State University system currently consists of 23 campuses. Students must complete 15 a-g subject requirements to be considered for admission to the CSU's. You must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better in these courses with no grade lower than a C.
Any California high school graduate or resident of California earning a GPA between 2.00 and 2.49 may be evaluated for admission based upon supplemental factors such as number of courses exceeding minimum “a-g” requirements, household income, extracurricular involvement, and other available information that would inform the campus admission decision.
- CSU Admission Requirements
- Impaction at the CSU - you can use this database to find out whether a degree program or campus you're interested in is affected by impaction.
- CSU GPA Calculator
- Transferring to CSU from a California Community College
University of California (UC)
The University of California system currently has 9 UC campuses open to undergraduates. You need to complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (A-G courses) with a letter grade of C or better. For courses completed during Winter 2020 through Summer 2021, UC will also accept a grade of CR (credit) and P (pass). You must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 if you're a nonresident).
If you're in the top 9 percent of California high school graduates and aren't admitted to any of the UC campuses you apply to, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if space is available. A formula, called an admissions index, is used to determine if you fall in that group.
Private & Out-of-State Colleges
Each private and out-of-state school varies in subject, average admission statistics, and testing requirements. Each campus should be researched individually to identify the requirements for that school. Letters of Recommendation are often required.
AICCU College Guide Dashboard - The dashboard is designed to help students and families explore campus and program options at California's private colleges.
RACC (Regional Admissions Counselors of California) YouTube Channel - The channel features RACC institutions (over 119 out-of-state colleges) videos and additional content.
Western Undergraduate Exchange - Students who attend colleges located outside of their state of residency pay out-of-state tuition fees, which are significantly higher than the tuition they would pay at public, in-state institutions. Students who are residents of WICHE states are eligible to request a reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition in participating in two-and four-year college programs outside of their home state. WICHE members include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Apply directly to the WUE institution of your choice.
Vocational/ Trade School
Trade schools, also called career or vocational schools, provide focused training for technical careers such as automotive technician, medical assistant, hairstylist, truck driver, paralegal, and more. Programs are typically shorter and more career-specific than community college or four-year degree programs, often leading to a certificate or associate degree.
Before enrolling, compare options like community colleges, which may offer similar programs at a lower cost, and apprenticeships, which combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction.
- Federal Trade Commision - Choosing a Vocational School - things to consider before enrolling in a trade school.
PLANNING FOR COLLEGE
- Planning Timelines By Grade
- College Exploration Resources
- College Fit - Reach, Target, Likely
- Visiting College Campuses
- Financial Fit
Planning Timelines By Grade
Freshman & Sophomore Year (students)
Freshman Year (for parents) Sophomore Year (for parents)
Junior Year (for students) Junior Year (for parents)
Senior Year (for students) Senior Year (for parents)
College Exploration Resources
California Community Colleges - find a college by location/ program
Cal State Apply - explore CSU campuses
College Express Lists - over 800 college lists to help your college search process
College Scorecard - research average cost of attendance, graduation rates, salary after graduation, etc.
College Fit - Reach, Target, Likely
When creating your "college list", we encourage you to include schools that fall into these three categories: Reach, Target, Likely. When deciding on your Reach, Target and Likely schools, these should also be schools you'd be happy to attend, if admitted.
Reach - A reach schools is one where your academic record falls below the school's average range for recently admitted students. These schools might be a long-shot but they should still be possible.
Target - A fit school is one where your academic record falls within the school's average range for recently admitted students. There are never guarantees, but it is not unreasonable to expect to be admitted into your fit schools.
Likely - A likely school is one where your academic record exceeds the school's average range for recently admitted students. We encourage students to always apply to at least one community college as a fallback school.
Tools to Determine Reach, Target, Likely
Appily Chances Calculator - You will need to create a free account to access this tool.
California Admissions Guide (SF Chronicle)
CollegeData Acceptance Calculator
Common Data Set - Google “Name of College” + “Common Data Set”. Scroll to 'section C' to find out how many people applied to the college, were accepted, and enrolled, as well as basic facts about the school’s admissions procedures, requirements, and standards.
Visiting College Campuses
In-Person College Visits
One of the most important parts of your college research is the campus visit. Visiting the colleges on your "college list" will give you a firsthand feel of the students, faculty, facilities and programs. While visiting a campus, you can learn about admissions requirements, get a sense of the community on campus, talk with students and faculty and much more.
Here are some helpful tools to help you with your college visits.
Campus Visit Checklist (Big Future)
College Visit Guide (AcceptU)
Complete Guide to Campus Tours (Big Future)
Can't physically visit a campus?
Take a virtual tour, or attend an online college fair.
How to Explore Colleges – this resource gives tips on exploring colleges both in-person and when you cannot travel, including CSU & UC specific resources.
RACC YouTube Channel - features videos for numerous out-of-state colleges.
Financial Fit
How much will the college cost? This may be an important factor in determining which colleges to put on your list. When considering teh cost of college, don’t just look at sticker price. Sometimes, colleges with the higher sticker price offer the most aid. Use the financial aid calculators available at virtually every college website to get a better idea of what the actual college cost will be after your finances, GPA, etc. are considered.
Find the net price calculator for your prospective college at the US Dept. of Education Net Price Calculator (NPC).