According to a San Jose Mercury News article, not enough high school graduates go on to the UC or CSU systems. Those two systems are the only colleges looked at, collectively called “in-state colleges.” The article, a summary of a study produced by IDEA, assumes that more counselors, money, and qualified teachers will fix the problem, without presenting other explanations of low college enrollment.
Students attending colleges other than UC or CSU schools are, in a sense, counted against the state. In a graduating class of 10, if 8 students attend SJSU and 2 students choose a private university, 100% of that class goes on to college. This study would only show an 80% college-attendance rate, ignoring those 2 that went to the private university.
There are lots of reasons why graduates don’t go on to four-year colleges and why the UC and CSU systems are not their top picks when they do. Assuming that UCs and CSUs are the only games in town gives the impression that something is wrong when graduates decide to attend other schools.
This study makes good points and raises issues worth examining. But it’s a bit one sided, don’t you think?