California Hands Out Diplomas, But Only Prepares a Few

By Hector Barajas and Lance Christensen

California’s education system keeps highlighting a key figure politicians love to promote: graduation rates. Despite the fact that graduates have not increased over the last few years, that number alone hides a much more important truth. Graduating from high school doesn’t necessarily mean our students are ready for what’s next.

One key benchmark of academic success is the number of students who complete the coursework required for admission to a University of California or California State University campus. On that measure, California is falling short.

Over the last few years, around half of high school graduates completed the A–G course sequence required for eligibility to the state’s four-year public universities.

That gap is not academic. It is structural. Students can earn a diploma with a D average, but universities require a C or better. The result is a system that not only graduates students who are illiterate and innumerate but also silently closes the door to economic opportunities.

For many people, community college is the fallback option. It can be an effective path, but for the millions it serves, it does not provide the credits necessary to help these students transfer into the CSU, UC, or other private colleges. Only one in five students successfully transfers to a four-year university within four years. Even among those who earn transfer-oriented degrees, tens of thousands never make the jump and leave their education in the rear-view mirror with no looking back.

This raises a clear question: what is California’s public school system actually producing? Are graduates prepared for college, or are they simply entering the workforce by default because the system did not prepare them?

According to a press release by the California Department of Education last November, several districts were graduating large swaths of students who were neither competent in English nor math. Culver City Unified School District boasts a 97.2 percent graduation rate while 58 percent of their juniors are not proficient in math and 34 percent of them are functionally illiterate. That they bragged about these numbers suggests a massive moral failing in our public schools.

That’s not improvement. That’s passing the buck and every Californian who cares about the next generation should expect better outcomes.

In the Governor’s latest budget proposal, California is set to spend nearly $150 billion on K–12 education, averaging more than $27,000 per student. That represents a 61% increase in less than a decade. Yet, the outcomes have barely moved.

The problem isn't just about funding; it's about alignment. Access to essential courses varies greatly between schools. Guidance is inconsistent, causing students to fall behind early and seldom catch up. In some public schools, the required courses aren't even offered.

For students from immigrant families or low-income households, the stakes are higher. Education has long been the clearest pathway out of poverty. It was for many who arrived in this country with little and relied on schools to open doors that did not exist at home. That pathway still matters. But it is no longer guaranteed.

College isn't the only path for kids leaving our public schools. Vocational training and skilled trades remain crucial. But making a choice requires preparation. Without it, students aren't choosing their future; the system is making that choice for them.

California has the resources, but what it lacks is accountability for meaningful outcomes. Graduation is not the finish line. It is the starting point. What matters is where that starting point leads.

Hector Barajas is a public affairs and strategic communications professional and the founder of Amplify360, Inc. His work places him at the forefront of high-level policy discussions involving lawmakers, political candidates, regulators, and industry leaders. These articles aim to illuminate information, context, and implications that are often discussed privately and frequently left out of the public debate. X: @hectormbarajas

Lance Christensen is vice president of government affairs and education policy at California Policy Center and former candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2022 and can be found on X @lancelands.