New Cal State Direct Admissions Pilot Program to Begin in Riverside

High school seniors in various parts of the state will have new pathways to the Cal State system for fall 2025.

Cal State East Bay announced partnerships with the San Leandro and Hayward Unified School Districts to provide guaranteed admission to students who have completed A-G coursework and sustained at least a 2.5 GPA.

High school students in these districts will be notified by the campus if they are guaranteed admission — and will then have to follow through the normal application process and formally enroll.

“This type of personal outreach is about more than eligibility — it’s about belonging, about knowing that there is a place for them in their community,” Sonal Patel, San Leandro Unified School District assistant superintendent of educational services, referring to the personalized nature of the admissions offers.

“We want our students to feel welcomed and valued as they take this next important step in their educational journey.”

Further south, the California State University (CSU) system will also pilot a new direct admissions program for high school seniors through a partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education.

CSU will offer graduates of the county’s public high schools eligible for direct admission for fall 2025. The pilot program will include 10 of the CSU’s 23 campuses.

Those 10 campuses are CSU Channel Islands, Chico State, CSU East Bay, Cal Poly, Cal Maritime, CSU Monterey Bay, CSU San Bernardino, San Francisco State, CSU San Marcos and Sonoma State.

To qualify, high school seniors must meet the A-G requirements and pass each course with a C or higher.

Once students meet those requirements, they will be informed of their conditional admission and will have to select the campuses they prefer within the system. Campuses would follow up later on with official admissions offers.

“We are excited to provide a direct pathway to higher education for thousands of high school students across Riverside County,” said CSU’s assistant vice chancellor of strategic enrollment management, April Grommo, in the announcement, according to Forbes.

“We want students to know that the door to college opportunity is open to them and to help relieve some of the stress and uncertainty about applying for college. Riverside County is an excellent location for this first-ever program for the CSU, as it is ethnically and economically representative of the diversity of California and many of the students the CSU is so proud to serve.”