CSU/UC Eligibility Rates by Ethnic Group 2003-04

March 2006
This chart, adapted from EdSource's 2006 Resource Cards, shows the percent of high school graduates in 2003-04 who completed the courses required for eligibility for the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems. Since 1997–98, the total eligibility rate (then 36.6%) has decreased by almost 3 percentage points (33.7% in 2003–04). The percentage point drops by ethnicity are Asians (3.2), African Americans (2.7), Hispanic/Latinos (2.1), whites (1.5), Pacific Islanders (1.0), and Native Americans (0.2). The eligibility rate increased for only one ethnicity, Filipinos, by 0.8%.

Data: California department of Education (CDE)
EdSource 3/06

In order to be eligible to enter either the CSU or the UC system, a high school student must complete a specific set of course requirements (referred to as “a-g”). Each course represents a one-year college-prep class. The requirements include:

• Two history/social science, one on the United States and one on the world;
• Four English language arts;
• Three math (through Algebra II or Integrated Math III);
• Two laboratory science (one biological and one physical);
• Two foreign language (same language and including American Sign Language);
• One visual/performing arts;
• One elective from the above subjects.

In addition to required courses, eligibility is based on high school grades, performance on college admissions exams, advanced coursework taken, and -for UC and some CSU campuses- personal attributes. Periodically both CSU and UC change their admissions requirements.