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A coalition of colleges, nonprofit organizations and education foundations are calling for the next governor of California to set a degree-attainment goal for the state.
The groups, led by the Campaign for College Opportunity, are encouraging the next governor to set a 60 percent college attainment goal and to close racial equity gaps in college opportunity by 2030.
Californians will select their next governor in November. The state's lieutenant governor, Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is running against Republican John Cox.
"California's candidates for governor are rightfully concerned about the economic future of the state," Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity, said in a news release. "The best insurance we have for a brighter tomorrow is a college education for more Californians. Together with our coalition, we have given the next governor an attainment and racial equity goal and a blueprint to get us there. We urge him to adopt these goals and take the necessary steps to ensure that we reach them.”
As part of the coalition's plan to encourage the state to adopt degree-attainment goals, the campaign also released the 2018 California Higher Education Report Card, which measures the state's progress in college preparation, access, completion and affordability. Overall the state received a C on the progress it's making toward reaching the 60 percent attainment goal by 2030.
As of June, 42 states have set attainment goals, following in the footsteps of the Lumina Foundation, which set a national goal of 60 percent of Americans holding a degree or professional credential by 2025. In 2009, President Barack Obama set a similar goal for 60 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds to have earned an associate or bachelor's degree by 2020.
