Senate Bill 640 grants high school students direct admission in most California State Universities

The program, signed into effect last week will shorten the lengthy and costly admission process while also implementing changes for community college students. 

By: Kaia Mann, Staff Writer

The new California law, SB 640 aims to simplify the path to college, granting eligible California high school students automatic admission into select California State Universities in the 2026-27 school year.

This bill hopes to remedy dwindling CSU enrollment numbers and increase students’ access to higher education while simplifying the long and expensive application process. To participate, students are required to complete the standard CSU A–G course requirements while maintaining a GPA above 2.5. 

“I think it could be both good and bad depending on the students,” said Valley student Melkon Boyadgian when asked about the implementation of the new bill. “I chose to come to community college because it was better financially, rather than just going to university straight away.”

Under SB 640, California Community College students going through CSU’s dual admission program, the Transfer Success Pathway, will be given three years instead of two to transfer, with the extension lasting through 2036. CSU and community college leaders are also tasked with developing new “transfer model curricula” and associate degrees in fast-growing fields like renewable energy, cybersecurity and biotechnology.

The direct admissions initiative comes off the heels of a similar pilot program in Riverside county, where over 13,000 high school students were granted direct admission into 10 of the participating Cal State Universities last year.  

Around half a million students attend a CSU with 87% of incoming freshmen reigning from California public high schools. Of the 22 campuses, 16 are participating in the program, excluding San Jose State, San Diego State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach due to crammed admission numbers.

“I think it’s great,” said Dominic Parras, an admissions counselor for CSU Channel Islands. “I think it’s gonna really change college admissions for high school students because it just gives them a new opportunity to get into the CSU system.”

California is the tenth state to adopt a direct admission program, alongside institutions from North Carolina, Hawai’i, Utah and more.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to save a headache for the students,” said Valley student Samvel Ksachikyan. He continued saying his decision to immediately apply to community college may have been changed if the new direct admission program was available, “having made the process simpler.”