The number of community college students who earned an associate degree through the California Community Colleges and California State University “A Degree with a Guarantee” transfer program more than doubled to 11,673 in 2013-14, the two college systems announced today.  Students who earn an Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) are guaranteed admission to the California State University.  Of the 11,673 students who earned an associate’s degree for transfer, 6,905 went on to transfer to a CSU campus.

For comparison, in the 2012-13 academic year, the first full year transfer degrees were available, 5,367 associate degrees for transfer were awarded to California community college students.  These included 1,742 AS-T degrees and 3,625 AA-T degrees.

“As these numbers indicate, an increasingly large number of students are opting to take advantage of the tremendous benefits offered through this program,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice W. Harris.  “The reasons for this are compelling.  Students can earn a second credential to enhance their resumes and boost their workforce competiveness and much of the uncertainty surrounding the transfer process is eliminated. Our community college faculty and the faculty of the California State University are to be congratulated for the tremendous amount of work and cooperation necessary to bring this ‘Degree with a Guarantee’ to life.”

Students who receive an AA-T or AS-T at a community college are guaranteed priority admission to a CSU to a similar major with junior standing and need only earn 60 more semester units (90, if quarter units) to obtain a bachelor’s degree.  Though program students are guaranteed admission to a CSU campus, it may not necessarily be a campus or major of their choice.

“The thousands of students who are earning an Associate Degree for Transfer are choosing an excellent path of academic preparation for completing the corresponding baccalaureate programs at CSU campuses,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White.  “Serving transfer students is a critical part of the university’s mission, and we will continue to work with our community college partners to ensure that current community college students and high school seniors are aware of this fast-track to degree completion,” White added.

The degree program was designed to streamline the transfer admission process between the California Community Colleges and CSU systems to address challenges faced by transfer students, including difficulties transferring outside their region, earning far more units than needed for transfer, and repeating classes at a CSU to meet lower-division prerequisites.

The program offers 1,535 associate degrees for transfer in a wide variety of disciplines, including fields like physics, mathematics, political science, computer science, and English.

For more information about the transfer program and to hear from students who have already earned these degrees and transferred to a CSU campus, visit ADegreeWithAGuarantee.com.

About the California State University

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, more than 450,000 students and 45,000 faculty and staff. Created in 1961, the CSU awards more than 100,000 exceptional degrees annually and this spring will be celebrating the milestone of reaching 3 Million alumni.