California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law on October 6 that allows eligible California high school students to automatically qualify for admission to state universities without having to go through the traditional application process.
The SB640 bill proposed by State Senator Christopher Cabaldon aims to increase the admission rates at the 23 campuses of the California State University system (CSU), the largest four-year public university system in the United States.
“We should make the transition for students from 12th grade to higher education as smooth as moving from sixth grade to seventh grade,” Cabaldon said when the bill passed the state legislature on September 10. “Direct admission can eliminate some of the barriers students face in applying to college and reduce their anxiety about not getting into a university.”
The law will officially take effect in the 2026-2027 academic year. At that time, high school students meeting the academic performance and course requirements will be automatically admitted to state universities and receive notification letters signed by the Chancellor of the CSU system, informing them of admission to campuses that still have enrollment slots available. Cabaldon stated that educational research shows that these direct admission letters can encourage students who might not have otherwise chosen to attend a four-year college to further pursue higher education.
Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker signed a similar bill in June of this year, allowing eligible students to be directly admitted to 9 out of the 11 public four-year universities in the state. Cabaldon mentioned Idaho also implemented a similar system, resulting in a 4-8% increase in undergraduate enrollment statewide, with a higher increase of 8-15% among in-state students. In Idaho, students with standardized test scores and GPAs of 3.0 or higher can be directly admitted to all 8 universities in the state; those with GPAs ranging from 2.25 to 2.99 can enter 6 of them; and students with GPAs below 2.25 can enroll in 4 universities.
Cabaldon expressed his hope that this law will expand educational opportunities for California students and reverse the declining trend in admissions numbers for certain state university campuses. The Sonoma State campus and the California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo had to significantly reduce courses this year due to declining enrollment and later received $45 million in relief funds from the government.
According to a report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, enrollment at the California State University system increased annually from 2014 to 2021, peaking at around 390,000 students, but experienced a decline in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years. Although there has been a slight recovery in recent years, the number of students is still approximately 13,000 fewer than the peak in 2021.
Governor Newsom did not comment when he signed the bill.
The law has received support from various organizations, including the American Association of University Women in California, Fresno Unified School District, Los Angeles Community College District, L.A. Unified School District, and United Way of California.