News · 19 October 2026
California community college bachelor's degrees: 2028 rules
Two California laws signed on September 18, 2026 rewrite the rules for community college bachelor's degrees from January 1, 2028. Here's what changes, and what it means if you finish an associate degree in 2026 or 2027.
California community colleges already award bachelor's degrees: by May 2026 there were 62 approved programs at 46 colleges.[5] Two laws signed on September 18, 2026 put new limits on them from January 1, 2028. Each district gets a cap set by its tier, from two to twelve programs, and none may run more than 10 approved from 2028 at once.[1][2]
Nothing can be approved under the new rules before 2028.[1] So if you're finishing an associate degree in 2026 or 2027, plan around the options you have today.
What did California change?
The governor approved both bills on September 18, 2026. SB 960 is now Chapter 320 of the Statutes of 2026, and AB 2694 is Chapter 308.[2][3] The two work as a pair: neither takes effect unless the other is enacted, and their new rules apply from January 1, 2028.[1][3]
Today's rules stay in force until then. The Chancellor's Office is taking applications under them now, with a deadline of January 15, 2027.[4] Here's how the old and new rules compare:
| Rule | Until the end of 2027 | From January 1, 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| How many programs | Up to 15 approvals per application period statewide; a district's bachelor's programs capped at 25 percent of its associate degree programs[1] | A cap for each district of 2 to 12 programs, set by its tier; no more than three applications per district in an academic year[1][3] |
| Which subjects | Unmet workforce needs in the local community or region[1] | Unmet current or projected future needs in the region, in jobs that typically require a bachelor's degree[1] |
| No repeating | Any California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) program[1] | A UC program, unless there's a written agreement; a program at a CSU campus whose service area overlaps the district, unless it admitted under 75 percent of the district's eligible applicants three years running[1] |
| If CSU objects | 30 working days to object, then a written agreement before approval[1] | 45 working days to object; the state's Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development decides within 90 days, and a no blocks a similar application for five years[1] |
How many bachelor's degrees can a district offer from 2028?
It depends on the district's tier. The tier comes from the share of its students who earn a certificate or degree, or move on to a four-year institution, within three years. The law sets that rate against the average of all districts.[1]
| Tier | District's rate | Programs it may offer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | More than one standard deviation above the average | Up to 10; 11 with more than one campus; 12 with 75,000 or more full-time equivalent students[1] |
| 2 | Above the average, within one standard deviation | Up to 8; 9 with more than one campus; 10 with 75,000 or more full-time equivalent students[1] |
| 3 | At or below the average, within one standard deviation | Up to 6[1] |
| 4 | Between one and two standard deviations below | Up to 4[1] |
| 5 | Two or more standard deviations below | Up to 2[1] |
Programs approved before 2028 don't count toward these caps. And whatever its tier, no district may run more than 10 programs approved from 2028 at the same time.[1]
What else does a new degree need?
Districts apply by January 15 or August 15 and get a decision by May 31 or December 31.[1] A district has to keep its associate degree in the same subject unless the Chancellor lets it drop it. The new program also can't crowd out students working toward associate degrees or certificates.[1] Before it opens, its accreditor has to approve it.[1][4] And every year by March 1, the Chancellor's Office reports each program's enrollment, completion rates and employment outcomes to the Legislature.[1]
Which bachelor's degrees do California community colleges offer now?
Career education fields.[6] The Chancellor's Office list runs from respiratory care, dental hygiene and health information management to biomanufacturing, cyber defense and automotive technology.[4] You won't find hospitality, hotel or culinary in the name of any program on it.[4]
Once you start the upper-division courses, it takes less than two years on average to finish.[6] By May 2026, 2,268 students had completed one of these degrees.[5]
What does this mean if you finish your associate degree in 2026 or 2027?
Degrees approved under the new rules are limited in three ways. They're capped by number, through the tiers. They're limited by subject, through the workforce test and the rule against repeating UC and nearby CSU programs. And they take time: a new program has to make an application deadline, get a state decision and win its accreditor's approval before it teaches anyone, and the new rules don't start until 2028.[1][4] So don't build your plan around one.
For many students, the 2+2 route to a CSU or UC campus, or to another four-year university, is still the usual next step. It keeps you close to home, too. The law itself names 2+2 articulation agreements among the partnerships an applying district documents exploring with CSU and UC.[1] And if your field is already on the community college list, that degree may be the one nearest you.
Where can a culinary or hotel associate degree take you in a year?
Then there's a route outside the US. With an associate degree in Culinary Arts, you can enter the final year of our Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts, or in Culinary Arts and Patisserie, in Lucerne, Switzerland.[7] With one in Hotel Management or Business, you can enter the final year of our BA in Hotel & Hospitality Management or in Global Business Management.[8]
That final year starts with Semester 5: six months of study in Lucerne, with 300 kitchen hours on the culinary track. Semester 6 is a six-month paid internship.[7] In some cases you may need an additional term to meet the module requirements.[7] We review every transcript one by one, and we can't promise to accept credits from another institution.[8] You'll need to be 18 or older, with English at IELTS 5.5 or equivalent.[7]
You'd graduate with two degrees, one from BHMS and one from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, UK.[7] The final year starts on November 16, 2026, February 22, 2027 or August 16, 2027.[7] One thing to know before you decide: most internship positions in Switzerland depend on German, French or Italian.[7] It's a bigger move than staying in California, and it isn't for everyone.
Next step: if your associate degree is in culinary arts, read how final-year entry in Culinary Arts or Patisserie works. For hotel management or business, start with how direct entry works.