About Calbright
Calbright is a public community college established by the state of California. In that sense, we’re a traditional institution: a public, non-profit college – part of the California Community Colleges system.
In every other way, Calbright is a new kind of college. Our unique education model offers an accessible, career-focused education, designed to work within the schedules of California’s working-age adults.
Our Mission
Calbright College is committed to increasing economic mobility and closing equity gaps for working adults who lack easy access to traditional forms of higher education. The College offers online, flexible, affordable, skills-based programs that provide tangible economic value for both working adults and hiring managers.
Serving California’s Adult Learners
Calbright College was founded to address gaps in California’s higher education system and to build fully online, skills-based programs that can help prepare adult learners for the jobs of the future. In this video, you’ll hear from Calbright leaders, staff, and students why this unique model is delivering new opportunities and breakthrough results statewide.
Fully statewide
Data as of June 30, 2024.
Calbright students represent 52 of California’s 58 counties
Who we serve
Calbright is designed to serve non-traditional students, and that’s reflected in our student body. Our exact numbers change on a regular basis because we have a constant stream of new enrollments — but the trend is clear: we serve students that other institutions have had trouble reaching in the past. Learn more about our equity focus.
40%
of students are currently unemployed, 7% are working two or more jobs, and 31% are displaced workers.
79%
of students identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.
90%
of students are 25+ years old; the median age is late 30s.
32%
of students are parents or caregivers (compared to approximately 10% across the CA Community Colleges system).
Data as of March 31, 2024.
Student Stories
Our student body is as diverse as California, featuring many kinds of people from different walks of life. Our students hail from all across the state — from Sacramento to San Diego — and each has their own story to tell.
What Makes Calbright Unique?
Free Tuition
Calbright is funded by the State of California. We're currently free to California residents over the age of 18.
Online
We're the first exclusively online member of the California Community Colleges system.
Self-paced
We measure success through demonstrated mastery of a specific, job-related skill, not class hours.
Convenience
Calbright's programs are flexible. All of our programs are designed to be completed in under a year.
Quality education
Calbright is designed to serve adult learners for whom traditional higher education is not the best option.
Here For You
We offer direct and accessible student support services alongside our programs.
Equity-Centered Community Design: Calbright Programs for a Changing Workforce
Calbright, in partnership with industry experts, builds curriculum around in-demand skills sought after throughout California’s vibrant knowledge economy. Instead of preparing students for a specific role within only one company, our programs are designed to help students enter fields that span multiple sectors. We partner with employers, economic development entities, and organizations across the state to deliver what’s needed to grow our economy and prepare students to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving economy and labor market.
Our Programs
Our programs focus on modern business practices and the technology tools driving fields within the knowledge economy. Students work with the same tech companies and organizations use, gaining practical experience that translates directly into the workplace.
Students are at the center of our design. That means a Calbright education begins with you. We take the skills you have, add the technical training you need, get your resume in shape for the jobs you want, and help connect you to your new field.
Note: While Calbright programs are flexibly paced, enrollment agreements are limited in duration.
Students are enrolled in successive 6-month terms for a maximum program length of three years.
“The Californians we seek to reach cannot stop working to get the education they need to get ahead, and many of them juggle multiple jobs to feed their families. As much as we would like to, we cannot will them onto our campuses. We need to rethink traditional delivery models and pedagogies and meet this population where and when they are ready to gain skills and credentials.”
Who We Are
Calbright’s faculty and staff are public employees who are all mission-driven: to be a public option for flexible and accessible higher education. Our faculty work in the fields they teach and offer up-to-the-minute lessons for students about the state of the industry and the skills they need.
The best way to for California to prosper is to open our economy to everyone. The more Californians who can access good jobs—and the more our businesses can fill those jobs—the better we all do together.
Learn more about how Calbright can help you
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