Education

Assessment of CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

December 10, 2025 - This report focuses on the California State University’s (CSU’s) Graduation Initiative 2025 (GI 2025). This initiative aimed to increase graduation rates and close gaps in graduation rates among particular student groups by 2025. In the report, we provide background on GI 2025, then discuss associated funding and activities. Next, we analyze the outcomes and assess the benefits and drawbacks of GI 2025. Lastly, we make recommendations for the Legislature to consider as it contemplates its involvement in CSU’s next graduation initiative.

Assessment of the Strong Workforce Program

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

December 10, 2025 - This report focuses on the Strong Workforce Program, which the state created to increase the availability and quality of career technical education at the California Community Colleges. We provide background on the program, assess its implementation and outcomes, and raise a few issues to consider relating to coordination of workforce development programs more broadly.

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Higher Education

• Format:
• HTML

November 14, 2025 - This post summarizes the state’s 2025-26 spending package for higher education. It is part of our Spending Plan series. In this post, we provide an overview of the state’s higher education spending package, then cover spending for the California Community Colleges (CCC), California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), student financial aid, and California State Library. The EdBudget part of our website contains many tables providing more detail about the 2025-26 education budget.

Overview of Major Impacts of H.R. 1 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act

• Format:
• PDF

August 20, 2025 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight

Trends in Higher Education

• Format:
• HTML

April 30, 2025 - From January 2024 through April 2025, we released six analytical reports focused on higher education trends. The reports cover trends in student access, college affordability, student outcomes, finance, faculty and staff, and facilities. The series has two main objectives. The first is to help legislators, staff, and the general public track many of the key changes that higher education has undergone over the past few decades. The second is to help legislators better navigate the future. To this end, each brief is punctuated by key issues for legislators to consider as they move forward in making higher education policy and budget decisions.

Trends in Higher Education: Facilities

• Format:
• PDF

April 30, 2025 - This is the final brief of a six-part series covering higher education trends in California. This brief focuses on higher education facilities. The brief includes key issues for the Legislature to consider as it makes related policy and budget decisions.

The 2025-26 Budget: Scholarshare Investment Board

• Format:
• HTML

April 30, 2025 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s budget proposal to provide the Scholarshare Investment Board with three additional employee positions to support the California Kids Investment and Development Savings program.

The 2025-26 Budget: Community College Facilities

• Format:
• HTML

March 18, 2025 - This post assesses the Governor’s proposals to fund community college capital outlay projects under Proposition 2, the new education facilities bond.

The 2025-26 Budget: College of the Law, San Francisco

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

March 10, 2025 - This brief analyzes the Governor’s budget proposals for College of the Law, San Francisco (CLSF). In 2025‑26, CLSF would receive $101 million in total core funding, reflecting a $15 million (17 percent) increase from 2024‑25. Both of CLSF’s main sources of core funding would increase, with tuition revenue projected to increase $4.3 million (7.8 percent) and state General Fund proposed to increase $11 million (40 percent).

The 2025-26 Budget: California State Library

• Format:
• HTML

March 7, 2025 - In this post, we provide background on the State Library and analyze the Governor's budget proposals.

The 2025-26 Budget: California Community Colleges

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

March 5, 2025 - This brief analyzes the Governor’s budget proposals for the California Community Colleges. It covers apportionments, enrollment growth, and various other ongoing and one-time proposals.

The 2025-26 Budget: California Student Aid Commission

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

February 28, 2025 - In this brief, we provide an update on Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship cost estimates, as well as analyze the Governor’s budget proposals for California College of the Arts and California Student Aid Commission’s state operations.

The 2025-26 Budget: University of California

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

February 27, 2025 - In this brief, we analyze the state’s budget plan relating to UC’s core operations and enrollment.

The 2025-26 Budget: Higher Education Overview

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

February 6, 2025 - In this brief, we provide an overview and initial analysis of the Governor’s higher education budget plan.

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

• Format:
• PDF
• HTML

January 13, 2025 - Update (1/16/25): A set of tables detailing various solutions and proposals has been appended to the online version of this report. They are available using the HTML link above.

On January 10, 2025, Governor Newsom’s administration presented its proposed state budget to the California Legislature. In this report, we provide a brief summary of the Governor’s budget based on our initial review as of January 12. In the coming weeks, we will analyze the plan in more detail and release many additional issue-specific budget analyses. For those additional analyses, please see our budget page.