California has 112 community colleges in 72 districts across the state. The system is providing education for 2.9 million students, as of 2011.
The programs are designed as low-cost alternatives for students--most courses cost less than $100. The offered courses can transfer easily to any California State University or University of California campus and be applied to a bachelor's degree. When transferring, community college students are given highest admission priorities of all applicants.
The largest university system in the country is the California State University (CSU) system, with 23 campuses, an enrollment of almost 412,000 students and a staff and faculty of 43,000 people.
Within the system there is a potential to earn any of their 200-plus degrees or certificates. California residents pay fees instead of tuition. The minimum fee is $4,230 per year for undergrads with more than six units per term. Graduate students pay $5,214. Non-residents pay additional tuition charges of $372 per semester unit or $248 per quarter unit.
The University of California (UC) is a 10-campus system that has 220,000 students and 170,000 faculty and staff members. These students have the opportunity to enroll in programs that cover more than 150 discipline areas.
Like CSU, California residents pay fees, not tuition. The average annual fee for undergrads is $11,285.
In addition, UC has a program known as UC Extension that offers 17,000 continuing education courses for an additional 400,000 Californians.
There are 76 not-for-profit colleges and universities in California. These institutions enroll more than 250,000 students, 132,301 of whom are undergraduates as of 2011.
This system of schools plays a critical role; more than two-thirds of all degrees earned in pharmacy, law, and dental practices come from private schools. More than half of all students who earn education degrees choose private institutions as well.
Tuitions vary according to the schools, but in 2008 nearly $1.4 trillion in financial aid was provided to the students of the members of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.