California has inched past the national average in the percentage of adults with a college degree or other postsecondary credential, according to the new 2025 Stronger Nation report from Lumina Foundation.
California stands at just over 56%, compared with the national average of 54.9%, which is itself a 17-point improvement over 2008.
Teresa Lubbers, a Lumina Foundation board member and president of the Sagamore Institute, a think tank focusing on social impact issues, said states must work hard to contain the cost of higher education.
“A lot of the reason why people don’t think they’re going to go to college is they think they can’t afford it,” Lubbers pointed out. “We have an obligation: If we’re going to tell people that education beyond high school is more important than ever, we need to make sure they can afford to access it.”
California waives tuition fees for two years at community college for instate high school grads and offers fee waivers for other low-income students. In 2008, Lumina set a nationwide goal of 60% attainment. Five California counties exceed the goal, all in the Bay Area, with San Francisco County at just over 70%. Rural Trinity County has the lowest rate at 21.6 %.
Lubbers argued states should promote quality credential programs tied to workforce needs, where students complete a course of study, pass an assessment and get an official documented credit, which verifies a person’s qualification or competency in a specific skill.
“I don’t think that the salary alone can be the measure, because some important jobs don’t have the pay that we think they should have, but economic mobility is an important way to measure it, and all degrees and credentials should ensure economic mobility and meet workforce needs.”
The data show wide racial disparities persist in California’s educational attainment. In 2023, more than 67% of Asian adults in the Golden State had a degree, certificate or credential. White adults stand at less than 60%, Black adults at just over 40%, and Hispanics come in at just over 24%.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
