College Readiness in California

College and career readiness are defined broadly.

• California's College and Career Indicator (CCI) uses a range of metrics to identify graduating students as college and career ready, including test scores on the statewide Smarter Balanced assessments (SBAC) and completion of the set of "A-G" courses required for admission to the UC and CSU.
• Students who earn college credits through dual enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses-and those who earn the State Seal of Biliteracy-are also designated as college ready.
• Metrics for career readiness include success in career technical education (CTE) pathways, military leadership courses, apprenticeships, and other job programs.
• As measured by these metrics, 52% of California high school graduates are prepared for college or career, while another 14% are "approaching prepared."

About one in five students meet statewide test standards for college readiness.

• Students who score "standard met" in both reading and math on the SBAC grade 11 exams are defined by the CCI as academically prepared for college. In 2025, only 23% of California graduates were rated academically prepared. Proficiency rates in English (56%) were twice as high as rates in math (28%).
• Performance on the grade 11 SBAC tests improved each year from 2015 to 2019. But proficiency rates fell sharply during the pandemic and have yet to recover; the 2025 share of college-ready students is 2 percentage points lower than it was in 2019.
• Readiness varies across student groups. About 15% of low-income students are college ready, compared to 31% of students who are not low income. Looking at race and ethnicity, 51% of Asian and 32% of white students are college ready, while rates are 13% for Latino students and 9% for Black students.