GUIDE · FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
California community college bachelor's degrees: building the courses
What SB 960 and AB 2694 change, the 22 bachelor's programs launching now, what an upper-division course build takes, and how Zero Textbook Cost money and open texts fit.
Two laws signed in September 2026 let each California community college district propose 2 to 12 new bachelor's degrees a year from 2028, including degrees CSU or UC already offer, as long as the district shows regional workforce need. Right now the system lists 67 bachelor's programs at 50 colleges, and 22 are marked coming soon. Every one of those needs upper-division courses built before its first cohort, and every new course has to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.
What SB 960 and AB 2694 change
SB 960 (Senator Cabaldon) and AB 2694 (Assemblymember Alvarez) were signed the week of September 20, 2026 and take effect January 1, 2028. They end the rule that kept community colleges from offering a bachelor's degree already available at a CSU or UC campus.
| What | Before | From 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Degrees CSU or UC already offer | Not allowed | Allowed, with a workforce-need case |
| New degrees per district | Up to 30 programs a year system-wide (AB 927) | 2 to 12 a year per district, allocated by performance |
| CSU objections | Could stall a proposal | Only when CSU rejects over 25% of that college's transfer applicants for three straight years; disputes go to the Secretary of Labor |
| UC degrees | Not allowed | Not duplicated without a written agreement |
Sources: Inside Higher Ed, September 21, 2026; CalMatters via RWC Pulse, September 20, 2026; CCCCO Baccalaureate Degree Program. A separate nursing bachelor's pilot bill was vetoed.
The 22 programs launching now
The Chancellor's Office marks these programs coming soon. Each one needs its upper-division courses written, built and made accessible before the first cohort starts.
| College | Bachelor's program |
|---|---|
| Cerritos College | Field Ironworker Supervision |
| Cerro Coso Community College | Cyber Security Technology |
| East Los Angeles College | Paralegal Studies |
| Foothill College | Building Trades Management |
| Fresno City College | Medical Imaging Supervision and Leadership |
| Imperial Valley College | Industrial Automation |
| Long Beach City College | Library and Information Science |
| Mission College | Emergency Services Administration |
| Moorpark College | Applied Cyberdefense and Network Operations |
| Napa Valley College | Respiratory Care |
| Oxnard College | Applied Advocacy & Organizing |
| Palomar College | Building Performance and Environmental Design |
| Saddleback College | Medical Laboratory Technologist |
| San Diego Mesa College | Physical Therapy Assistant |
| Santa Ana College | Automotive Technology |
| Santa Barbara City College | Health Information Management |
| Santa Monica College | Cloud Computing |
| Santiago Canyon College | Digital Infrastructure & Location Science |
| Siskiyous College | Paramedicine |
| Southwest College | Transborder Environmental Design |
| Victor Valley College | Respiratory Care |
| West Valley College | Land Stewardship and Sustainability |
Source: CCCCO Baccalaureate Degree Program list, checked October 5, 2026. The list changes as cycles are approved; three programs were approved over CSU objections in February 2026 (EdSource).
What an upper-division course build takes
Curriculum approval is the faculty's work and the curriculum committee's call. The build is everything after that, and it is where new programs slip.
- Outcomes and outline. Faculty set the course outcomes from the approved course outline of record.
- Adopted text. Pick the textbook or open text. Open texts on LibreTexts keep costs down and let you adapt the material.
- Module plan. Break the course into modules, and decide which ideas need video and which are better as reading or practice.
- Scripts. Faculty write or approve every script before anything is produced.
- Production. Video lessons, captions edited by a person, audio description where visuals carry meaning, and graphics readable on a phone.
- LMS build. Module pages, files and caption tracks loaded into Canvas.
- Review. Faculty and the accessibility office review before the term starts.
Paying for it: Zero Textbook Cost and open texts
The state's Zero Textbook Cost program allows up to $20,000 per course for developing and curating open educational resources, and up to $200,000 per degree or certificate. Since spring 2026 every college has access to LibreTexts, the system-wide platform for finding, adapting and publishing open materials. California's Master Plan for Career Education, released April 2025, pushes in the same direction: competency-based pathways and credit for prior learning, which all need courses built around workforce skills.
Sources: CCCCO Zero Textbook Cost Program; CA EDGE on the Master Plan for Career Education. Check your own grant terms for what counts as an allowable cost.
For scale: Donarus builds a 3-unit course for $12,500, with up to 60 finished minutes of video, captions, audio description and LMS-ready module pages. That fits inside the ZTC per-course limit.
Accessible from day one
ADA Title II applies WCAG 2.1 AA to public college course content, including video behind an LMS password. Your district's date is April 26, 2027 or April 26, 2028, depending on whether it counts as a special district under state law. A course built to WCAG 2.1 AA from the start never lands on a remediation list. The details are in our ADA Title II guide.
Frequently asked questions
What do SB 960 and AB 2694 change?
They remove the ban on California community colleges offering a bachelor's degree that CSU or UC already offers. From 2028, each district can propose 2 to 12 new bachelor's degrees a year, allocated by performance, and each must show regional workforce need. The laws take effect January 1, 2028.
How many community college bachelor's programs are there now?
The Chancellor's Office list, checked October 5, 2026, shows 67 programs at 50 colleges, 22 of them marked coming soon.
Can Zero Textbook Cost funds pay for course development?
The ZTC program allows up to $20,000 per course for developing and curating open educational resources, and up to $200,000 per degree or certificate. Check your college's grant terms for what counts.
Who owns a course Donarus builds?
Your college and faculty. Faculty write and approve every script, and curriculum decisions stay with faculty and the curriculum committee. Donarus produces the video, captions, description and module pages.
What does a course build cost?
Donarus builds a 3-unit course for $12,500: module outline from the adopted text, up to 60 finished minutes of video, captions, audio description and LMS-ready module pages. Extra video is $125 a finished minute.
Does the new course need to meet ADA Title II?
Yes. Title II applies WCAG 2.1 AA to public college course content. The date is April 26, 2027 or April 26, 2028 depending on whether your district counts as a special district under state law, so confirm with your accessibility office. Building to WCAG 2.1 AA from the start avoids remediating later.
FREE PLANNER
The upper-division course build planner.
- A one-page worksheet per course: outcomes, adopted text, video minutes, accessibility, budget
- The build steps from approved outline to first cohort
- A Zero Textbook Cost budget line you can hand to your grant lead
Sources
- Inside Higher Ed, Newsom signs community college bachelor's degree bills, September 21, 2026
- CalMatters (via Redwood City Pulse), up to 12 new bachelor's degrees, September 20, 2026
- California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, Baccalaureate Degree Program
- EdSource, three new bachelor's degrees approved over CSU objections, February 2026
- CCCCO, Zero Textbook Cost Program
- CA EDGE, Governor Newsom releases the Master Plan for Career Education, April 2025