Community College

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT

Admission to any of California's 109 community colleges is simple. You will be admitted to the community college of your choice if you meet at least one of the following conditions:

 

CERTIFICATE & DEGREE PROGRAMS

Certificate Programs

Students interested in obtaining career training without committing to several years of school can earn a Certificate of Achievement in a shorter period of time. Certificate programs are designed for students interested in career training that leads to a specialized career field. Students who earn certificates can earn more money than someone who simply holds a high school diploma. Programs vary in length and generally require less than 2 years of full-time study to complete. Successful completion of certificates is notated on official college transcripts. There is no limit to the number of certificates a student can earn.

Career Program Degrees (AA/AS)

These programs are designed to provide better-rounded career training than in a certificate program and typically require 1½ to 3 years to complete. Career degrees include requirements for a major, which are specialized occupational courses, and general education courses that broaden a student’s understanding of self and the surrounding world. Some units/credits in career programs may transfer to 4-year colleges and universities and may fulfill lower-division requirements.

Transfer Admission Guarantee

All community colleges offer a full range of academic courses that enable a student to prepare for a transfer to a four-year college or university. If you are a "transfer" student and plan carefully, you may enter the four-year university as a junior after two years of community college work. Your community college counselor will help you organize a program that will be acceptable by the four-year college, so that you will not lose any credits when you transfer.

Use assist.org to help you select the proper courses at the community college that will meet the specific GED requirements for your major at the university to which you plan to transfer.

Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is a commitment that four-year colleges and universities make with community college students. It is a contract of understanding, guaranteeing that upon completion of the conditions of the agreement, the student will be admitted to the university. Some of the advantages of completing a TAG are early notification of admission, waived application fees, priority registration, and having courses outlined. Below are the list of local community colleges and their TAGs.

 

STEPS TO APPLY

In order to enroll as a full-time student in a California community college, students must have a high school diploma or equivalent, or be at least 18 years old.

 

1. APPLY - This is the first step for students intending to take classes to start in the fall. Although paper applications still exist at some community colleges, most colleges do have online applications, so check your college’s website for more information.

 

2. PLACEMENT TESTS - Typically, colleges require students to take placement tests for Math and English before students can enroll in classes in those subjects. Placement tests should be taken at least 3 weeks before registration.

 

3. ORIENTATION - Orientation is your opportunity to talk to a college counselor who can help you review program options, discuss financial aid, sign up for classes, review requirements, and help you reach your goals. Since you will often sign up for classes during orientation, you want to sign up for orientation as early as you can.