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Explore a series of data visualizations that show student transitions from California’s public high schools to California public colleges and universities and into the workforce. See outcomes for different student populations. Analyze:

  • How much students earn after earning a degree
  • Which types of degrees or awards students earn
  • How many students work while attending college
What story does the data tell about my community?

Filter by California school district or legislative district to learn about students in your community. Select a student population by race/ethnicity, gender, foster youth status, or other data elements to better understand students’ experiences in California.

Click here for the full Student Pathways Dataset

Bienvenidos a la Historia de Datos de Student Pathways. No todos los elementos de esta página serán traducidas cuando use la herramienta de traducir que está arriba en la esquina a la derecha de este sitio web. Pero, podra encontrar recursos sobre cómo usar el sistema de datos aquí: Recursos en español.

District Type

Filter the Data Story with data for students based on the legislative district in which they attended high school. Help me find my school’s legislative district.

Type to Select One

Select One

Filter the Data Story with data for students based on their Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Foster status, or Homelessness status. Learn more about how C2C defines student populations and plans to expand filter options on our Data Definitions and FAQ page.

How have California students navigated to and through college?

Explore the different educational paths Californians take after graduating from high school.

The visualization below shows the paths of students who graduated from California public high schools in the 2014-2015 academic year. The diagram highlights the different paths these students took, whether they went into the workforce after high school, enrolled in a 2-year public college, or attended a 4-year public college. The outcomes for all paths differ to create a unique story for each California student.


  • Students who graduated from a California public high school in 2014-2015 with a standard diploma. Does not include GED or other types of high school completion.
  • Students who graduated from a California public high school in 2014-2015 and then enrolled in a California public 2-year or 4-year college within nine years of graduating from high school. 
  • Students who graduated from a California public high school in 2014-2015 and then earned an Associate degree, Bachelor’s degree, or Community College Certificate within nine years of graduating from high school. Future updates to the data story will include data on advanced degrees that students may earn in this time period.
  • Note: “Never Enrolled in a California Public College” currently includes students who attended private colleges within California and out-of-state colleges, as well as those who choose not to go to college. Future updates to the data story will include data on attendance in private or out-of-state colleges.

While the “Student Pathways” diagram above provides an overview of students’ journeys over time, the following visuals focus on key milestones at specific points in time. 

Who enrolls in college?

Explore a snapshot of first-time college enrollment broken down by student demographic for students who first enrolled in the selected academic year.

  • Students who graduated from public California high schools in any academic year between 2014-2015 and 2023-2024
    • and who are enrolling for the first time at a public 2-year or 4-year college in the selected academic year.

Changing the form filters will update the chart data automatically.

The chart "First Time College Enrollment by Student Population" will update automatically when changes are made to the filters.

What types of degrees do students earn?

Students receive different degrees and awards from California public colleges. Whether they received a certificate from their local community college or transferred from a public 2-year college to a public 4-year college, there are many paths to earning credentials after high school.

  • Students who graduated from public California high schools in any year between 2014-2015 and 2023-2024
    • and earn a degree or certificate from a California public college in a selected academic year between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024.

Changing the form filters will update the chart data automatically.

The chart "Degrees and Certificates Earned at CA Public Colleges" will update automatically when changes are made to the filters.

Once students enroll in college, how long does it take them to graduate?

Explore how long it takes students to complete their degrees, based on when they first enrolled in the college from which they earned their degree. (Note: For students who attend multiple institutions or transfer, this means that the full length of their degree journey is not included in the current version of this chart. Future dashboards will explore the transfer journey in more detail).

  • Students who graduated from public California high schools in any year between 2014-2015 and 2023-2024
    • and earn a degree or certificate from a California public college in a selected academic year between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024.

Changing the form filters will update the chart data automatically.

The chart 'Median Time to Award for Graduates of CA Public Colleges' will update automatically when changes are made to the filters.

What about students who work while they are enrolled in college?

Learn about California students working while enrolled in college. Filter by academic year or toggle between metrics to examine median earnings or the percentage of students working.

  • Students who graduated from public California high schools after 2014
    • and report earnings on a W-2 for at least three of the four quarters of the year.

Changing the form filters will update the chart data automatically.

The chart 'Percent of Students Who Work While Enrolled in College' will update automatically when changes are made to the filters.

Data Type

How much do students earn after they graduate?

Learn about how much California public college graduates and certificate earners earn over time. View information on the median annual earnings of college graduates every year for up to five years after earning their award and see the change in earnings over time.

  • Students who graduated from public California high schools in any year between 2014-2015 and 2023-2024
    • and who completed a degree or certificate from a California public 2-year or 4-year college,
    • and who have jobs in California,
    • and who report earnings on a W-2 for all four quarters of the year.

Changing the form filters will update the chart data automatically.

The chart 'Median Wages for CA Public College Graduates Employed in CA' will update automatically when changes are made to the filters.

To reference this dataset in publications or reports, please use this citation:
California Cradle-to-Career Data System (2026). Student Pathways Data Story (Version number 2.0). c2c.ca.gov/data-stories/pathways-to-college-in-california/

We want to hear from you!


While launches may feel like the end of a process, for us, it’s just the beginning. You helped us build it, now help us improve it.
We know there are more stories to be told beyond this first release, and we want to hear from you. 

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Whether the individual was identified as a foster youth

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Geography/Locale