Only six years old, Calbright’s innovative “high tech, high touch” model of flexible, online higher education re-imagines what college can be for working-age Californians. In the college’s start-up period, the model was tested and proven to work: Californians in every part of the state, from all walks of life, including parents and caregivers, went through Calbright’s programs quickly, at their pace, succeeded, and used their new skills and credentials to make meaningful improvements in their education and career goals.
It’s one of the reasons why Calbright was named one of the top online learning providers in 2025.
But there was always another crucial question to be answered: Can Calbright’s flexible, competency-based education model scale? It works for individuals looking to upskill and reskill, and students with little to no previous college experience. But what if you put thousands of students who need in-demand job skills and education through it? Will they receive the high tech, high touch service they need to succeed?
The answer: A resounding “Yes!”
In the last year, Calbright’s enrollment grew by a massive 66%, to almost 8,000 active students, putting the College’s systems and its staff and faculty through an intense growth period. And Calbright’s annual student experience surveys show that even in a time of significant growth the satisfaction ratings among students remain extremely high.
In 2025, 74% of Calbright students said that they were satisfied with their education – and overall, satisfaction with Calbright has remained high over the last four years among respondents, at 70% or higher each year of the survey. .
Another 87% of Calbright students said they would recommend Calbright to a friend – again, comparable or higher than earlier years.
Holding and even improving its student satisfaction at a time of exponential growth proves that as Calbright has gotten bigger it has also gotten better. Calbright’s innovative model scales, showing a path forward for hundreds of thousands of Californians, who need the in-demand job skills higher education can provide to help working-age adults improve or change their careers.
