CSU graduation totals are economic force

By Cheryl Hannigan
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

This past 2003-04 academic year, the CSU system graduated a record number of students both with master's and bachelor's degrees.

The system granted a total of 65,743 bachelor degrees, an increase of over 4,000 from the 61,712 bachelor's degrees in 2002-03. The number of master's degrees increased from 14,990 in 2002-2003 to 16,860 in 2003-04. The total of doctorate degrees also increased this year from 53 to 69 total in 2003-04.

The record number of graduates further emphasizes the importance of the CSU system in California, both economically and academically. Clara Potes-Fellow, a manager of media relations for the CSU system, acknowledges the importance of the CSU system as an economic force. "The CSU is an economic powerhouse generating more in tax revenue for state and local governments than is provided to the CSU in direct annual support. This means the CSU pays for itself," Potes-Fellow said. In addition to being important for the California economy, the CSU system creates close to half of the state's bachelor's degrees annually as well as a third of California's master's degrees.

"The impact of the California State University on the state is enormous, both economically and socially, and nowhere is that more evident than in the number of graduates we produce who go on to work in the state's critical industries," CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said. "College graduates earn $1 million more over their lifetimes than those with a high school degree, so CSU is adding value to both the individual student and the state's economy."

Ethnic minorities have also increased their degrees by nearly 1,860 throughout the CSU system. African-Americans have raised their degree totals by a total of 254, Mexican Americans and other Latinos increased by 640, Filipinos increased their total by 220, and Asian Americans increased by 692.

"The CSU is proud that minorities make up 53 percent of the system. That's a huge number. We know it's important to provide degrees to members minorities so that they can join the workforce and eventually take part in powering this state," said the Public Affairs Director for the CSU system, Colleen Bentley-Adler.

In 2003-04, the Cal State Long Beach campus total of undergraduate degrees was 5,194 and the total number of master's degrees was 1,128. According to statistical reports at the CSU website, CSULB graduated 5,055 undergraduates and accounted for 892 master's degrees in the 2002-03 year. In addition, degrees earned by ethnic minorities have also increased at Cal State Long Beach. Filipinos increased their total of undergraduate degrees by 25, up from 234 in 2002-03 and Mexican American and other Latinos increased their total of undergraduate totals by 42. Graduate degrees earned by Asian Americans increased by 33 from 2002-03 and those earned by Mexicans and other Latinos increased by 44.

In 2003, the CSU Board of Trustees began their mission to improve the process of transferring for community college students, helping students already in the system get on a straightforward path to graduation, and to increase the preparation of high school students entering the system. At least one part of this goal appears to be working, as students currently enrolled in the system may be preparing to set another record number of graduates. Students take 12 units per term (usually 4 classes), while previously students had taken fewer units.