Celebrate with us! This week Calbright hit a major milestone, having over 1,000 actively enrolled students for the first time.
Calbright’s been open for less than three years, and this is unusually fast enrollment growth for a new college.
But then, Calbright isn’t an ordinary college. We’re a pioneering concept in adult education: we’re publicly funded, all-online, and currently offering no-cost programs to Californians. We’re designed for non-traditional adult learners and those who have fallen through the cracks of the 21st century economy. Instead of degrees, we offer certificate programs based on mastery of skills for good jobs that companies in California are hiring for.
Our students aren’t ordinary students, either. As of February 28, 2022:
- 80% of Calbright students identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.
- Students represent 40 counties across California, including 22 rural counties.
- 92.2% of students are 25+ years old (compared to approximately 42% across the CA Community Colleges system); median age is late 30s.
- 40% of students are currently unemployed, 7% are working two or more jobs, and 31% are displaced workers who recently experienced job loss or a reduction in hours.
- 32% of students are parents or caregivers (compared to approximately 10% across the CA Community Colleges system)
Right now our 1,000+ students are enrolled in four programs: IT Support, Cybersecurity, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), or Medical Coding.
The College is currently in the process of applying for accreditation, a year ahead of schedule, and as Calbright moves into a new phase of high-quality, sustained growth, we plan to launch additional programs in healthcare and technology that are linked to in-demand workforce needs to support a more equitable economic recovery across the state.
