AB 1705: Math Task Force sets Oct. 25 reconvene with 3 strands

Math Task Force ‘Central Valley Way’

gains national math attention

 

REGISTER

As a July 1, 2025 deadline approaches regarding implementation of Assembly Bill 1705, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force prepares for its next convening of valley math minds Friday, Oct. 25 in Clovis amidst several new developments.

The group has now met five times since October 2022 – three in person and two virtually – as Central Valley community colleges prepare to meet the requirements of AB 1705 related to  equitable placement, support and completion practices for STEM programs.

The free convening Oct. 25, again co-facilitated by John Spevak, Ph.D., CVHEC regional coordinator who oversees the consortium’s Math Task Force, and Tammi Rice-Perez, Ed.D., of the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clovis Community College Herndon campus (390 W. Fir Ave. in Clovis).

At the April 19 gathering attended by about 70 that Spevak described as “filled with energy, synergy and productivity,” math professors and deans shared ideas about how best to meet AB 1705 requirements.

That conversation will continue on Oct. 25 with the focus narrowed to three strands and discussion of a new direction provided recently by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.  

Spevak said the task force, with the help of the Dana Center, has been working over the summer to present reports on these three updated strands:

  • “Developing a Single-Course Prerequisite to Calculus,” led by Professor Jeremy Brandl of Fresno City College
  • “Developing a Calculus 1 Course with a Corequisite,” led by Professor Shelley Getty of Taft College
  • “Verifying the New Prerequisite Course,” led by Professor Nathan Cahoon of Taft College.

“The Oct. 25 math gathering in Clovis will continue to focus on the Central Valley Way to Math Success in light of AB 1705,” said Dr. Spevak. “Math professors will be giving updates on the development of new courses that will be taught starting in fall 2025, including a new calculus prerequisite course and a calculus with corequisite course.”

Spevak said another group of professors is working on ways to deal with the challenges presented in the Chancellor’s Office guidelines to implementing AB 1705.

He added that the Central Valley’s pursuit of best math practices is gradually expanding as representatives from the California State University and the University of California are expected to attend on Oct. 25 and provide updates.

That gathering will also include expanding representation from K-12 partners, who are also working on finding the best paths to math success in the Central Valley.

Dr. Spevak also announced that this collaborative endeavor by CVHEC, the Dana Center and consortium member institutions of higher education – convening community college math educators, administrators and researchers as well as K-12 representatives to address AB1705 – is getting national attention with the invitation of two strand leads of the Math Task Force, Jeremy Brandl and Shelley Getty, to present at a national math conference in Georgia this fall.

They will join Rice-Perez of the Dana Center to make a presentation about the “Central Valley Way to Math Success” collaboration at the annual conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) in Atlanta I Nov. 14-17.

“We continue to thank all the math professionals in our region for their dedication to math success for our Central Valley students,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College.

“You are all doing something unique — a collaboration of math educators working closely together to create the Central Valley Way to Math Success. Now the work of your partnerships is being noticed nationally.”

He noted the AB1705 collaboration on the Central Valley front is providing an added benefit: the establishment of an ongoing network between the consortium’s math community.

“This is one of the primary purposes of our consortium, to convene our members on issues of higher education affecting our region and to unify as one voice when needed,” Dr. Duran said. “That’s why we call this CVHEC Math Task Force endeavor ‘the Central Valley Way.’”

Registration for the event is now open.

See also: 

 

Kern Master’s Upskill Program nears half-way mark 

The drive is on to place the program’s master’s grads

in Kern community college adjunct spots

 

The Kern Master’s Upskill Program continues to forge ahead as four cohorts of high school teachers are halfway to its goal of 100 new master’s degrees which qualifies the teachers for instruction of dual enrollment courses at Kern County high schools.

Formally known as the Dual Enrollment Teacher Upskilling Pathway for English and Mathematics, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium initiative is in partnership with the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative that was funded as part of an $18 million statewide competitive grant in June 2022 to improve student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the workforce under the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), which serves as the administrative agent for the Kern K-16 Collaborative.

CVHEC first started the Teacher Upskilling component in Fresno County in 2021 with similar state funding through the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative before teaming up with its Kern partners for $1.7 million to produce, over three years, up to 100 qualified dual enrollment teachers to teach English and Math.

This year, the CVHEC program is also expanding into the North Valley with two $400,000 state grants in partnership with the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative with 24 slots – 12 in English and 12 in math (see the We Will story in this issue).

CVHEC’s Teacher Upskilling program is in partnership with two consortium members:  Fresno Pacific University offers a Master’s degree in Mathematics education and National University offers a Master’s degree program in English.

In the past academic year, 48 students earned their English and math master’s degrees and now the program is in full gear for the next step, said Tom Burke, CVHEC’s Kern Masters Upskilling Program lead.

“Our faculty mentors and mentor coordinators are currently working with the graduates to get them into the adjunct hiring pools for Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso Community College, Porterville College and Taft College.  “This is the initial step toward teaching dual enrollment at Kern County high schools.”

He provided this breakdown of the current Kern progress since the program began in 2022:

 

English MA Summary:

  • In three cohorts to date, 32 students have graduated.
  • Also from those first 3 cohorts, nine master’s candidates have received in progress grades and are working to complete their capstone course towards meeting their full degree requirements.
  • A fourth cohort in English is in development.

 

Math MA Summary:

  • Sixteen (16) students from cohort 1 have graduated.
  • Cohort 2 currently has 11 students on course to graduate in spring 2025.
  • Cohort 3 commences this semester (fall 2024) with 22 master’s candidates and will complete in spring 2026.

The project also includes the CVHEC Mentor Program that pairs the master’s candidates with a community college mentor to support them along the way and help them navigate the process to becoming an adjunct community college faculty member.  In Kern, the mentor coordinators are Dr. Liz Rozell (math) and Dr. Vikash Lakhani (English).

Burke said the program is currently recruiting for math mentors while mentor recruitment for the new north valley We Will  initiative will begin lagter in the fall semester.

 

See:

 

BOARD NEWS: CVHEC welcomes new board members – Fall 2024

DR. JERRY L. FILGER, President -- Bakersfield College
DR. MONICA CHAHAL, Int. President - Clovis Community College
DR. KIM ARMSTRONG, Interim President - Fresno City College
DR. STEVEN BLOOMBERG, Chancellor - Kern Community College District
PRIMAVERA MONARREZ, Interim President - Porterville College
DR. BRIAN SANDERS, President - Modesto Junior College
DR. BRITT RIOS-ELLIS, President - Stanislaus State
DR. RAFE E. TRICKEY, President - Taft College
DR. ROBERT PIMENTEL, Chancellor - West Hills Community College District

At the quarterly Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors meeting Sept. 4, nine new CEOs of member institutions of higher education were welcomed and seated. The board is made up of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 higher education institutions in the valley’s 10-county region from San Joaquin to Kern.

The new CEO positions filled in the past year: President Jerry L. Filger, Bakersfield College; Interim President Monica Chahal, Clovis Community College; Interim President Kim Armstrong, Fresno City College;  Chancellor Steven Bloomberg, Kern Community College District;  President Brian Sanders, Modesto Junior College;  Interim President Primavera Monarrez, Porterville College; President Britt Rios-Ellis, Stanislaus State; President Rafe E. Trickey, Taft College; and Chancellor Robert Pimentel, West Hills Community College District.

See Director’s Message for board meeting photo gallery.  

HIGHER ED NEWS: PPIC Pathways Report

 

Screenshot

A sweeping new report, “Pathways to College Completion in the San Joaquin Valley,” by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found a multitude of factors contributing to lower college attainment rate in the region, compared to the rest of the state, including a lack of preparation in high school, low university application rates (especially to the UC system), financial constraints, campus proximity, and a perception of less access. That’s a problem for the state, as well as the region.

Central Valley struggles to produce college grads;

key programs are turning that around

 

By EMMA GALLEGOS
(EdSource – Aug. 20, 2024)

 

A new report delivers bad and good news for the Central Valley.

The bad news: The vast majority of parents, 79%, want their children to get a bachelor’s degree, but just 26% of students in the region are on pace to achieve that.

The good news: Central Valley educators in both K-12 and higher education are pioneering strategies that could transform the region’s low college attainment rates. That includes broadly expanding dual enrollment opportunities; increasing the number of students meeting requirements to graduate from high school; and creating regional partnerships to smooth key transitions between high school, community college and four-year universities.

A sweeping new report, “Pathways to College Completion in the San Joaquin Valley,” by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found a multitude of factors contributing to lower college attainment rate in the region, compared to the rest of the state, including a lack of preparation in high school, low university application rates (especially to the UC system), financial constraints, campus proximity, and a perception of less access. That’s a problem for the state, as well as the region.

“When we look to the state’s future, the San Joaquin Valley is especially important,” said Hans Johnson, one of the report’s authors.

That’s because the Central Valley is populous, young and growing rapidly — 4 million and counting — compared with other parts of the state. But it is also a region that requires attention, because, over the last 50 years, it has fallen behind the rest of the state economically. In 1974, residents in the Central Valley made 90% of the state’s per capita income. In 2020, that number had fallen to 68%.

“When you increase the educational attainment rate here in the Central Valley, it lifts the entire region socioeconomically and culturally as well,” said Benjamin Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium.

He said that too few students obtaining any kind of degree — associate, bachelor’s or advanced — means the valley will continue to have too few people in critical professions, such as nursing, medicine and teaching.

“It’s way below what our economy in general demands,” said Johnson, a senior fellow with PPIC. “We know the value of a college degree statewide is incredibly strong — and in the Valley as well. So, not everybody has to go (to college), but more people and more students should be going than are going right now.”

The report finds that students in the Central Valley tend to graduate from high school at nearly the same rate as other students in the state, but show a sharp decline during the critical juncture of transitioning from high school to college and, for students who register at community colleges, which a majority of Valley college students do, transferring to a four-year university or college.

High school students lack preparation

According to the PPIC report, students in the Valley have wildly different experiences based simply on which school districts they attend.

“That’s both encouraging and kind of discouraging that we have such a wide variation that where you go to school, to not a small extent, is going to determine what kind of possibilities you have for going on to college,” Johnson said.

School districts that do a good job preparing socioeconomically disadvantaged students tend to also prepare their wealthier peers well, the report shows.

Two of the Valley’s largest districts, for example, demonstrate this. The college-going rate for Fresno Unified’s socioeconomically disadvantaged students is 64%, compared with 67% of their more advantaged peers. Those same rates for the Kern High School District are 48% and 53% respectively.

The problem is that many Central Valley students are not graduating from high school with the preparation that they need to succeed in college, according to Olga Rodriguez, one of the report’s authors.

One important metric is how many students have taken the full college preparatory sequence — known as A-G — required for admission to California’s public universities. In the Central Valley, 4 out of 10 high school graduates met the A-G requirements, compared with 6 out of 10 for Los Angeles and Bay Area students.

“If you want to increase the number of college graduates, that’s where we have so much potential,” said Rodriguez, director of the PPIC Higher Education Center.

Students who do not meet A-G requirements are not able to begin their college career at a CSU or UC school. Additionally, this lack of preparation makes it more challenging for students at community colleges to successfully transfer to a four-year university, Rodriguez said.

To improve their rates, some school districts have shifted to mandating that students graduate with A-G requirements; others have simply dropped classes that are not A-G eligible. However, many other districts are not prioritizing A-G classes.

“A-G policies often seemed centered on politics and local industry needs — as opposed to being focused on students’ needs and aspirations,” the report states.

An analysis by EdSource found that 56% of high school seniors do not complete the A-G requirements. EdSource found that the problem is particularly dire among Black and Latino students, as well as in certain regions, such as Northern California and the Central Valley.

For many communities in the Central Valley, higher education is considered more “aspirational” than realistic, Duran said, adding that it’s the job of all educators across the spectrum to educate both students and parents about how to make college a reality.

The default choice for many Central Valley students is to stay at home and attend a local community college, rather than attend a CSU or UC — even for students who have the grades. The perception is that it ends up being cheaper and maybe a safer option, but that’s not always the case.

“When you look at the net price, it’s actually more affordable to go to a CSU than it is to stay at a community college,” said Rodriguez. “Especially when you think about the likelihood of completion and how long it’s going to take you.”

 

Partnerships make the difference

Because the transitions between institutions is where students tend to fail, the report says that partnerships between high schools, community colleges, CSU campuses and the region’s only UC campus, in Merced, are important for Central Valley students.

In this area, the region is “ahead of the game,” said Rodriguez.

The Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) is a program that guarantees community college students who meet certain requirements a spot at a CSU campus, but the UC system has not joined in. However, UC Merced — the only UC in the Central Valley — is unique in having its own version of an ADT guarantee for regional community colleges, Johnson notes. The university also has a similar guarantee program aimed at high school students in regional districts.

There are similar partnerships throughout the Valley that are trying to ease those transitions. For instance, Fresno State has a new Bulldog Bound Program that guarantees admission to high school students in over 40 school districts who meet requirements — and also gives them support during their high school career.

The region has three K-16 collaboratives that focus on making sure that schools are able to prepare students for college at a young age — whether that is through educating parents or helping high school teachers, particularly in English and math, get master’s degrees so they can teach dual enrollment courses.

Dual enrollment has thrived in the Central Valley, thanks to partnerships largely between community colleges and K-12 schools in the region. Dual enrollment allows students to take college credit courses during high school, which makes them more likely to continue on to college after high school.

The work being done in the Central Valley serves as an incubator for what can happen in the rest of the state, said Duran.

“The work we do is collaborative,” said Duran. “We try to bring projects and initiatives that can not only be replicated here, but in the rest of the state.”

If these changes lead to a swell of enrollment, the report notes that there is plenty of higher education infrastructure in the region. Few colleges or universities have programs that are impacted — unlike in other parts of the state. Both CSU and UC are banking on growth in this region.

Emma Gallegos covers equity issues in education and is based in California’s Central Valley.

See:

EdSource article

PPIC Panel Aug. 20 story 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPOTLIGHT: Pathways to College Completion in the San Joaquin Valley

 

California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) has the lowest college enrollment and completion rates in the state, which both reflects and perpetuates the region’s economic challenges. Yet it could be on the verge of dramatic improvements. How can institutions, educators, and policymakers expand support for its college-going pathways?

Last month, PPIC senior fellow and director of the Higher Education Center Olga Rodriguez presented new findings and led a discussion with valley higher education leaders Aug. 20 to answer this question including Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. They were joined by Tressa Overstreet, Fresno Unified School District’s executive director of college and career readiness, and Dr. Orquidea Largo—associate vice chancellor and chief outreach officer at UC Merced’s Center for Educational Partnership

“The single largest obstacle for SJV youth is the transition from high school to college,” Rodriguez said. “The second is the transfer from community college to four-year institutions.” She stressed that districts with the best outcomes have expanded access to dual enrollment courses and made the A–G coursework needed to qualify for California’s public four-year colleges an integral part of high school curricula. Even so, only 39% of valley high school graduates complete the requirement.

Most SJV high school graduates who go on to postsecondary education start out in community college, but their transfer rates are 5 percentage points lower than in the rest of the state. “Parents and students in the valley see a college education as a key to a brighter future,” Rodriguez said, “including greater career and economic opportunities. Ensuring they have access to the information they need is critical to their success.”

Tressa Overstreet, Fresno Unified School District’s executive director of college and career readiness, agreed. Citing the importance of introducing college and career readiness well before ninth grade, she said, “We need to spend time with our families and our youngest students, to develop the mindset that I am college material.” To facilitate student success, Fresno Unified made A–G its default high school curriculum, expanded access to dual-enrollment courses, prioritized data, and last year added transition counselors. “We have a full department focused on monitoring and meeting the needs of every student,” Overstreet said. “This year our students earned over 12,000 credits through dual enrollment.”

Asked what advice she had for students, Orquidea Largo—associate vice chancellor and chief outreach officer at UC Merced’s Center for Educational Partnerships—said that improved policies and procedures have rendered today’s students more aware and assertive than in the past. But more needs to be done to ensure they arrive at high school academically well prepared, with a sense of where they are going. “I want to remind them we are working for them. It is not an inconvenience to approach their teachers, their counselors, their principals and declare what path they want to follow and how they expect our educational system to support them in pursuing their college aspirations.”

Benjamin Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, addressed the challenge of improving transfer rates. As an example, he talked about the Central Valley Transfer Project—a collaborative effort between his organization, valley community college and California State University (CSU) campuses, and UC Merced. Among other improvements, an associate degree can now qualify students for the region’s public four-year colleges. Duran is especially excited about the Pathways Mapper application. “We think it’s going to have a huge impact on the transfer numbers we already see,” he said. “Youngsters involved are transferring at greater numbers than those seeking their own pathways.”

All the panelists pointed to data sharing as an essential aspect of such collaboration. Largo emphasized the importance of real-time district-level data in making adjustments to policies and practices that might be creating barriers for students. Overstreet agreed, noting that data is essential not only to building Fresno Unified’s master schedule but also to monitoring student progress in such a way that interventions can be made. She emphasized the need to break out of silos of all kinds: “We truly believe we are stronger together. This is going to take a community lift, to shift our regional socioeconomic status. Our students deserve pathways to hope.”

 

SeeL

NEWS RELEASE: Durán joins Aug. 20 panel examining new PPIC findings

SPOTLIGHT: CVHEC transitions – a new look

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MEMBER NEWS: CHSU celebrates accreditations

Celebrating the CSHU accreditation progress Aug. 10 (from left): Lynne Ashbeck, mayor of Clovis; Courtney Dunbar, district director for Congressman Vince Fong; Dr. Flo Dunn, founding president of CHSU; State Assemblyman Jim Patterson; Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig; Jenna Welch, field representative for Senator Shannon Grove; Dr. John Graneto, founding dean of CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine; Dr. Ronald Llenado, resident physician at UCSF Fresno Family Medicine Program and CHSU-COM Alum (2024).

 

Significant milestone: CHSU celebrates

full accreditation for all programs

 

(CLOVIS, Calif.)– The California Health Sciences University (CHSU), a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, held a celebration this week to commemorate achieving full accreditation for all its programs.

“Having our university accreditation recently reaffirmed, and our medical school, master’s program, and Simulation Center all achieving full accreditation is a significant milestone for our institution and a proud moment for all of us who are part of this vibrant community,” stated Dr. Florence Dunn, Founding President of CHSU, in her address at the event.

The Accreditation Celebration brought together over 300 people on the medical school campus in Clovis, including CHSU medical and pre-medical students, alumni, administration, faculty, staff, trustees, founders, elected officials, and community partners.

CVHEC Executive Director at the CHSU Accreditation Celebration with President Florence Dunn, a member of CVHEC Board.

Guests toured the Simulation Center for interactive experiences with high-fidelity manikins and augmented reality Holoanatomy demonstrations.

The founding dean of the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, John Graneto, DO, stated, “In the past six months, we’ve had exciting news every month starting with our historic 100% residency match rate for our inaugural class of 2024 in March.”

Last April, full accreditation was granted for seven years to CHSU’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).

66 new physicians in the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s inaugural class of 2024 graduated at the Save Mart Center in May.

Ronald Llenado, DO, an alum from the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s inaugural class of 2024 is one of the 33% of his graduating class who matched for residency in the Central Valley. Dr. Llenado is now a first-year resident in the UCSF Fresno Family Medicine program.

“Matching at UCSF Fresno has been a dream come true. It allowed me to stay here in the Central Valley, where I’ve studied, built important relationships, and made a home. I’m also proud to say that CHSU graduates make up 25% of my intern class, further showing how CHSU is shaping the future of medicine right here in our community,” stated Ronald Llenado, DO, Resident Physician in the UCSF Fresno Family Medicine program and CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine alum from the inaugural class of 2024.

He spoke at the Accreditation Celebration about his medical school experience at CHSU and connection to serving patients in the community through his clinical clerkships.

“The accreditation of CHSU is a landmark moment—not just for the school but for all of us who are part of its legacy. It’s a testament to the hard work, vision, and dedication that went into building a medical program that equips its students to serve our unique community and improve healthcare access for all,” remarked Dr. Ronald Llenado.

Other notable speakers at the celebration included long-time university supporters Assemblyman Jim Patterson, Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, and Clovis Mayor Lynne Ashbeck.

Mayor Lynne Ashbeck spoke about the CHSU medical school being transformational for this region.

“There is nothing more important that will define this region for the next 30 years than the health of our residents. If we can provide an environment where our families and kids can thrive, where our kids can actually see what it takes to become a doctor or other healthcare provider, and achieve those goals close to home and where we can all have access to those doctors to care for us then our region has a chance,” stated Lynne Ashbeck, Clovis Mayor.

Nathan Magsig, Fresno County Supervisor remarked, “There are going to be thousands of doctors that graduate from this facility and its going to change what the Central Valley gets to experience when it comes to care. I just want to say thank you to those individuals who were part of the vision to make this happen.”

Representatives from the offices of Congressman Vince Fong, Congressman Jim Costa, and Senator Shannon Grove also attended the event and presented CHSU with certificates of special recognition for achieving full accreditation for all its programs.

CHSU became accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in 2018. This summer, CHSU had its university accreditation reaffirmed by WSCUC.

When the fall semester began in July, the university received the news that all CHSU students are now eligible for Federal Financial aid to help them fund their medical school and master’s program education.

“These achievements are a shared victory with our entire community, and ultimately is for our students,” concluded Dr. Dunn.

Contact: Richele Kleiser, CHSU VP of Marketing and Communications at rkleiser@chsu.edu or 559 312 3892

See:

CHSU press release and photo gallery

 

About California Health Sciences University

California Health Sciences University (CHSU) is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). CHSU is the first university of its kind in the Central Valley and offers a local option for medical school and a master’s in biomedical sciences to help remedy the shortage of health care services offered in the Valley.

The CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). CHSU-COM now has about 600 medical students in attendance. The inaugural class of 2024 medical students graduated in May. The College matriculated its fifth cohort of over 150 students in July.

The university also offers a one-year Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program at its College of Biosciences and Health Professions. The first cohort of MSBS students graduated in 2024, with over 60% of the graduates now attending the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine.

For more information about California Health Sciences University, visit chsu.edu or find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin.

 

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MEMBER NEWS: Info sessions for North Valley Master’s Upskilling

Recruitment of North Valley high school math and English teachers for dual enrollment qualification begins – info sessions set

Applications are now available for 24 North Valley high school math and English teachers to enroll in the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative Master’s Upskilling Program sponsored by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and offered by National University and Fresno Pacific University.

The MA Upskilling Program qualifies them to teach dual enrollment courses. The cohorts will begin in spring 2025. Registration for online information sessions is now available. See WE Will! Grant story.  

MEMBER NEWS: Consortium members earn Wall Street Journal rankings

Several members of the CVHEC earned accolades in the WSJ rankings recently topped by UC Merced listed No. 1 for social mobility: California State University, Stanislaus came in second on the list of the top schools for social mobility; Fresno State was No. 4. and Fresno Pacific University was No. 14.

UC Merced is No. 1 university for social mobility in the US, new study says.  

 

BY FERNANDA GALAN

Merced Sun-Star

SEPTEMBER 09, 2024 3:19 PM

 

 

UC Merced is the No. 1 university in the nation for social mobility, according to new college rankings.

The Wall Street Journal recently teamed up with research partners College Pulse and Statista to rank the 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S., rating the top 500 universities in the United States.

In addition to awarding schools overall scores, the Wall Street Journal and College Pulse ranked universities based on best value, best salaries, student experience and social mobility.

“The WSJ/College Pulse Social Mobility ranking … rewards universities that take in the highest proportion of students coming from lower-income families,” the Wall Street Journal said, “while maintaining high graduation rates and having a positive impact on graduate salaries and minimizing the costs of attending the college.”

“At UC Merced, we routinely say that we don’t do what we do for rankings, but when you excel others will always take notice,” university Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in a Sept. 4 news release. “We hope this recent acknowledgment will be yet another opportunity for people to learn about the exceptional culture of student success that has taken root at UC Merced.”

WHY IS UC MERCED NO. 1 FOR SOCIAL MOBILITY?

UC Merced landed at top of the WSJ/College Pulse Social Mobility ranking with a score of 86.8 out of 100

The university was No. 18 on the overall list of Best Colleges in the U.S. with a score of 84 out of 100, up from No. 59 in 2023.

According to the Wall Street Journal, it costs $13,450 per year on average to attend UC Merced, including tuition, fees, room and board and books and supplies.

However, the value added to graduates’ median salary attributable to them attending UC Merced is $33,874, the Journal found.

 

UC Merced has a variety of programs that have helped students excel academically, including the Center for Educational Partnerships and the Fiat Lux Scholars program.

The Center for Educational Partnerships works with Central Valley schools serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade help kids become “college and career ready,” UC Merced said on its website, while the Fiat Lux scholars program focuses on providing first-generation college students with academic success and housing options.

The university also partners with College Track, an organization that helps students from low-income community get their bachelor degrees.

 

About 60% of the student body of UC Merced is comprised of Pell grant-eligible students who have exceptional financial needs, and 65% are first-generation college students according to the news release on Sept 4.

HOW DID OTHER CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITIES RANK?

 

California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock came in second on the list of the top schools for social mobility.

California State University, San Bernardino, took third place, while Fresno State was No. 4. California State University, Los Angeles, rounded out the top five.

Elsewhere in the Central Valley, California State University, Sacramento, landed at No. 13, while Fresno Pacific University was No. 14 and UC Davis was No. 32.

WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 UNIVERSITIES FOR SOCIAL MOBILITY?

 

These are the top 10 universities in the nation in terms of enhancing students’ social mobility, according to Wall Street Journal and College Pulse:

 

  1. UC Merced
  2. California State University, Stanislaus
  3. California State University, San Bernardino

 

  1. Fresno State
  2. California State University, Los Angeles
  3. Florida International University in Miami
  4. California State University, Long Beach
  5. Baruch College in New York
  6. California State University, Northridge

 

  1. California Polytechnic State University, Pomona

 

HOW DID WALL STREET JOURNAL COME UP WITH ITS RANKINGS?

 

The Wall Street Journal partnered up with College Pulse and Statista to rank schools using “the latest data available for analysis, it said.

 

In the social mobility category, schools were scored based on the following components:

 

Social mobility salary impact

Social mobility graduation rate impact

See:

Merced Sun-Star article

UC Merced press release: UC Merced Ranked No. 1 in the Nation for Social Mobility, No. 18 Overall

Fresno State News press release: Wall Street Journal ranks Fresno State in top five nationally for social mobility

Stanislaus State press release: Stanislaus State Ranks No. 24 in the Nation on Wall Street Journal’s 2025 Best Colleges

NEWS RELEASE: Durán joins Aug. 20 panel examining new PPIC findings

New PPIC report shows the San Joaquin Valley with lowest

college enrollment and completion rates in the state

Panel to discuss strategies for strengthening college-going pathways in the valley

 

UPDATE AUG. 15  (Public Policy Institute of California):

» Read the report

» Read the policy brief

REGISTER – PPIC Panel Aug. 20

 

Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, will join a virtual panel of experts discussing a new report to be released next week by the Public Policy Institute of California, “Pathways to College Completion in the San Joaquin Valley,” showing California’s San Joaquin Valley has the lowest college enrollment and completion rates in the state.

The panel, set for Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to noon, is presented by PPIC and will explore how institutions, educators and policymakers can expand support for college-going pathways in the valley.

Joining Dr. Durán on the panel — moderated by Dr. Olga Rodríguez, director of the PPIC Higher Education Center and a senior fellow at PPIC — will be Dr. Orquidea Largo, associate vice chancellor and chief outreach officer for the Center for Educational Partnerships, University of California, Merced; and Tressa Overstreet, executive director of College & Career Readiness for the Fresno Unified School District. (See detailed bios on the PPIC event page).

The report, which PPIC will release Aug. 15, notes that “with its youthful, diverse, growing population; expanding economy; and robust regional networks, the San Joaquin Valley could be on the verge of dramatic improvements in college enrollment and completion.”

Durán said PPIC’s work helps shed light on an issue CVHEC has tackled head-on since its inception 22 years ago this week.

“We applaud PPIC for undertaking this valuable work focusing on ongoing issues and barriers we sometimes encounter that too often still impede student success,” Durán said.

“It is important for valley educators to continuously confront these barriers and address the value of creating meaningful pathways such as dual enrollment courses supported by wrap-around services like our Math Bridge Program and to implement initiatives like our Transfer Project that complement those pathways, all leading to more student success.”

A question/answer session the final 15 minutes will close the PPIC panel. To submit questions:  ppiceventquestions@gmail.com

Registration is now available for the free Zoom event.

The PPIC research and its panel event are supported with funding from College Futures Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Sutton Family Fund.

 

For report and panel event questions:

PPIC EVENT CONTACT: Sal Beeby, events associate (415.291.4426)

PPIC MEDIA CONTACT: Steven Bliss, director of Digital Strategy (415.291.4412)

 

CVHEC Media Contact (for Dr. Durán): Tom Uribes, cvhecommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu (559.348.3278)

Contact Us

  • centralvalleyhec@gmail.com

  • 559.278.0576

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