Sacramento, Calif., April 2, 2025 – Calbright College has been named one of America’s Top Online Learning Providers for 2025 by Newsweek, a recognition that underscores the statewide community college’s commitment to boosting economic mobility and access to skills-based training for California adult learners and working-age adults.
“This Newsweek recognition reminds us of the value of Calbright’s focus on meeting learners where they are and ensuring they have access to the transferable skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce,” said Calbright College President and CEO Ajita Talwalker Menon. “Our model is a clear path to a better future – something our students have been telling us all along.”
Calbright’s inclusion in Newsweek’s list reflects its growing impact in the online education space and its dedication to innovation of competency-based education, which centers on a student mastering a skill or subject, as opposed to spending a set amount of time in a classroom, whether virtual or in person. As the college continues to expand its programs and student support services, Calbright works closely with students to break down barriers to education and workforce advancement that have traditionally overlooked adult learners. It’s estimated California is home to 6.8 million Californians ages 25-54 with a high school diploma but no college degree as well as other working-age adults whose employment prospects are increasingly limited.
“The flexibility and support at Calbright have put me and so many of my peers on path towards success,” said Deb Hemingway, Calbright’s Student Body President. “As someone managing work and family responsibilities, Calbright’s flexibility allows me to learn on my own schedule while still receiving one-on-one support from instructors and counselors when I need it. This recognition that Calbright is a top online learning provider highlights what so many students already know—Calbright puts adult learners first and makes quality education accessible.”
In addition to supporting students in progressing at their own pace, Calbright provides wraparound support services, including career coaching, academic counseling and technical assistance, ensuring that students receive personalized guidance throughout their learning journeys.
Earlier this year, Calbright announced it will offer four additional programs to current and prospective learners. Building on the success of its start-up phase, the expansion allows the college to continue its tremendous growth in enrollment and certificate completions – a more than 400% increase within two years – and follows the milestone of its 1,000th awarded certificate at the end of 2024. The added programs, offered through the competency-based education model, support Calbright’s mission to provide access to higher education for California’s working-age adults with the flexibility, support and resources necessary to reach their career and economic goals.
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About Calbright College
Calbright College is a new kind of community college designed to support the needs and goals of adult learners. Established in 2018, Calbright is a statewide, online and flexible California Community College that offers accessible and career-focused programs—based on in-demand skills from IT to CRM Platform Administration to Data Analysis. Calbright’s free and flexibly paced model, which utilizes competency-based education, adapts to the schedules of California’s working-age adults to provide the rigor of higher education without the logistical hurdles of a traditional institution.
