A NEW KIND OF COLLEGE

Built around the needs of real working people

How It Works
Our Model
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Prepare
We prepare some of the 8 million Californians who feel stuck in “go-nowhere” jobs for careers with a future, and we do it through online classes, mobile apps, and apprenticeships.

Promote
We support and promote our adult learners. From pre-registration and learning, through career preparation and placement, we are here.

Place
We place adult learners who have demonstrated job competency and readiness to work with employers who are excited to hire them for lasting, well-paying careers.

Competency-Based: Calbright College is designed to focus on careers, not college credentials. Unlike other community colleges, rather than working toward an associate’s degree, our adult learners work toward a job. While many community colleges offer online classes, they are structured like a traditional college, that is: term-based and with fixed milestones. Calbright is different.

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photo of Ajita Menon — Featured image for CALBRIGHT BOARD OF TRUSTEES NAMES AJITA MENON AS INTERIM CEO

CALBRIGHT BOARD OF TRUSTEES NAMES AJITA MENON AS INTERIM CEO

Feb 11, 2020

Oakland, CA – Calbright College, California’s online community college dedicated to increasing economic opportunity for low-income working adults, today announced the selection of Ajita Talwalker Menon as interim President and CEO. Calbright’s former President and CEO, Heather Hiles, resigned in January. Menon will serve as the college’s chief executive until the Board of Trustees concludes […]

group photo of calbright employees — Featured image for Hundreds sign up for the new Calbright College

Hundreds sign up for the new Calbright College

Oct 7, 2019

On its opening day, nearly 700 people submitted applications to enroll in California’s new online-only two-year institution — Calbright College. The college was created to serve an entirely new adult and underemployed population of students who are working part-time jobs or stuck in positions that don’t pay a living wage. The California Community College system described […]

Photo of Heather Hiles. — Featured image for Take Two: Calbright College

Take Two: Calbright College

Oct 1, 2019

Calbright College President & CEO Heather Hiles talks about launch day on NPR’s Take Two, a program serving the greater Los Angeles region. Click here to listen.