The Geography of California Community College Enrollment: Course-Taking Trends in the Online Era
Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Overview
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s community colleges rapidly expanded access to online learning. But has this shift encouraged students to enroll beyond their local districts?
A new research brief from Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research explores this question by examining students’ ties to their “home college”: the campus where they primarily take classes. Despite widespread access to distance learning, researchers found that only 21% of enrollments are taken outside of a student’s home campus.
Cross-enrollment—taking classes at multiple colleges—can open doors to a wider range of programs and degrees. For students in rural communities especially, these opportunities can make the difference between completing a degree locally or having to relocate.
Join the UC Davis School of Education on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. for a webinar on the geography of community college enrollment. Researchers will share findings on cross-enrollment trends, including differences in cross-enrollment rates by student demographics and financial aid use, from 10 years of administrative data. They will also discuss implications for initiatives like the California Virtual Campus Exchange and the Student Centered Funding Formula.
This virtual event is free and open to the public. Registration is required to access the Zoom webinar.
Speakers
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Dr. Michal Kurlaender, Moderator Professor, School of Education | Lead Researcher, Wheelhouse |
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Chancellor, Coast Community College District |
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Professor, School of Education |
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Research Fellow, Wheelhouse |
About the Center
Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research supports current and future leaders in the California Community Colleges system. They achieve this outcome by delivering professional and peer learning to district chancellors and college presidents; and conducting, translating, and disseminating third-party research to inform practice and policy development for community college leaders and state and local policymakers.