California state universities begin new direct admissions program

California Senate Bill 640 (SB 640), known for the Automatic CSU Direct Admission Program, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Oct. 6, 2025. SB 640 aims to simplify and encourage enrollment at California State Universities by automatically accepting eligible high school seniors from participating districts to 16 of the 23 campuses. Students can choose between these 16 campuses if they intend to enroll.

Starting with the 2026-27 school year, students in Santa Monica and other districts who meet the A-G requirements and have a GPA above 2.5 will be given automatic acceptance. The California State Universities included in this admission program are: Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Fresno, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Marcos, Sonoma and Stanislaus. Students interested in going to one of the other six campuses will still need to apply through CaliforniaColleges.edu. 

In recent years California State Universities have faced trouble with finding consistent enrollment. California State Senator Christopher Cabaldon was at the center of the push for the bill, noting that two of the campuses with the biggest declines were in his district.

Lawmakers also say that SB 640 is designed to increase opportunities for students in addition to helping students cut down on paperwork, relieving some of the stress that comes with college application season. 

Cabaldon spoke on the bill roughly a month after its passing. 

“Direct admission removes the application hurdle that stops some students from going to college, and relieves the fear that they won’t get in anywhere,” Cabaldon said.

Christian Oxman (’26) was accepted to the 16 Cal States and found it had the intended effect lawmakers hoped for. 

“It alleviates stress on a lot of people, it's a nice padding to have while waiting for [other college decisions],” Oxman said. 

A 2022 academic study of Idaho’s direct admissions program was a key factor in the proposal to create something similar within California. The study found that the program, which was implemented in 2015, boosted first time undergraduate enrollment from 4 percent to 8 percent. Additionally, it helped increase in-state enrollment from approximately 8 percent to 15 percent. 

Though the initiative found some success, several schools saw little to no change in enrollment. A researcher noted the absence of meaningful change to be unsurprising as it didn't focus on a specific student body. 

In a 2023 study of students on Common App, direct admissions initiatives intended for marginalized groups increased applications among those groups. 

California joins a growing list of states instituting these types of programs for their public colleges. North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Utah and West Virginia have all begun direct admissions programs in recent years.