* Definition of "college": This includes community colleges, four-year universities (public and private), and other post-secondary institutions.
* Full-time vs. part-time: The count will vary depending on whether it includes only full-time students or both full-time and part-time students.
* Data source and reporting time: Different organizations collect data at different times and using different methodologies.
To get an estimate, you would need to consult data from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, the California State University system, the University of California system, and potentially the California Department of Education, as well as data on private colleges and universities within the state. These institutions typically publish enrollment figures annually, but compiling them into a single, precise total requires significant aggregation and may not always be readily available in a single, publicly accessible source.