What do nearly 8,000 Californians from all walks of life, across almost every single of California’s 58 counties have in common? They are all taking a decisive step toward building a better life for themselves, and they are finding the right skills and education at Calbright to do it.
That’s what Calbright students overwhelming shared about their experience, according to Calbright’s 2025 Student Experience Survey.
Among the most notable responses: 73% of Calbright students enrolled here to “receive skills training” and earn “a badge, certificate, or industry certification.”
Just over 14% are using Calbright as a way to begin the process of earning a traditional degree, such as an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s, or master’s.
80% of current students say Calbright has supported progress in their education goals, and 81% say they feel satisfied with their overall experience at Calbright.
What We Offer
Calbright’s students represent California because Calbright is open to everyone: We accept every adult Californian with a high school degree, or equivalent, who applies.
What we offer is a set of free, career-focused, online programs that are flexibly paced, and lead to certificates that demonstrate skills that are being hired for good jobs, right now and in the future. All of which can be completed at the students own pace in under a year.
That appeals to people across many demographics – age, gender, race, zip codes, little to no college experience, and more.
Who Our Students Are
Calbright is gender balanced. In October, 51% of students were women, 44% were men, 4% declined to state, and 1% identified as non-binary. (All numbers are rounded)
Our students come from a variety of educational backgrounds: 34% have no college degree, 10% have earned an associate’s degree, 42% have earned a bachelor’s degree, and 15% declined to state.
Our students are all over the age of 18, but most of them aren’t “traditional” college age, meaning starting their college experience just after completing high school:
- Less than 1% of our students are under 20.
- Only 22% of Calbright students are in their 20s.
- Over half, 61%, are between 30-50.
- The rest, almost 20%, are over 50.
24% of Calbright students are caregivers, taking care of their families.
A plurality of Calbright students, 38%, are White. 34% are Latinx, 21% are Asian, 20% are Black, 3% are American Indian or Alaskan Native, 1.4% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders, and 5% declined to state.
24% of Calbright students recently experienced a job loss or a decrease in wages.
Support They Need
In addition to a career-focused education that will help them meet their job and education goals, Calbright students are looking for additional support – and Calbright is delivering that too
- 38% of Calbright students want career planning assistance
- 37% of Calbright students want help finding a new job
- 31% want academic advising
17% want tutoring services - 15% want personal counseling.
All of these services are provided to students by a dedicated team of support services staff who can meet with students virtually and share tips and best practices to advance their job searches and planning.
Calbright is even pioneering new approaches to helping online students get their basic needs met – like food assistance, healthcare, and cash assistance. Many students are often eligible for these basic needs services – known as CalFresh and Medi-Cal in California – but they need help navigating systems to apply for them and receive them.
Calbright is a whole new approach to college for adults, and the reason our community is so representative of California is that it’s something people across counties, age groups, and in all walks of life, are looking for.
