Pasadena Community College beats every other transfer pipeline in California

Pasadena City College and the UCLA Center for Community College Partnerships are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of an innovative collaboration that has helped more than a thousand community college students transfer and earn a university degree.

At a gathering held Wednesday, September 30, on PCC’s campus, students, faculty, staff, and elected officials reflected on the program’s success in creating a smooth pathway from community college to four-year universities and colleges.

“Many students come to PCC never dreaming they could go to UCLA. It’s a tough college to get into with an admit rate of only 9.5%,” said District 4 PCC Trustee Tammy Silver. “The beauty of attending PCC is we have so much student support, like this partnership with UCLA. The support this UCLA partnership provides encourages students to dream big and prepares them for success at world-class institutions like UCLA. Here is an incredible statistic; our UCLA Partnership students have a UCLA admit rate of 59%, SIX times the regular admit rate! If you want to be a Bruin, the path lies through PCC.”

“So today isn’t just a celebration of 10 years; it’s a celebration of every student who walked this journey and got the support they needed to reach their academic and professional goals,” said José A. Gómez, president of PCC.

Transfer potential

Transfer to UCLA has long seemed out of reach for many community college students. With a UCLA admit rate of only 9.5%, the odds appear daunting. But for students coming through PCC’s transfer pathway, the reality is dramatically different.

The UCLA Center for Community Partnerships grew out of a conviction at UCLA that serious educational access requires serious support for community college transfer.

“We cannot simply wait for students from the community colleges to find their way to UCLA,” said UCLA’s Associate Vice Provost for Student Diversity Jonli Tunstall. “We have to build pathways. We have to share information, demystify the transfer process, remove barriers. And work alongside community colleges that educate and prepare extraordinary students.”

UCLA’s center began 25 years ago and partners with community colleges across California. Its longest relationship is with Pasadena City College.

Congresswoman Judy Chu, Assemblymember John Harabedian, and Councilmember Jason Lyon attended to celebrate the partnership and thank the two institutions.

“This work is vital because higher education is the pathway to success,” said Chu, a former community college professor and UCLA alumna.

Lyon called PCC “a jewel of the state’s community college system” because of its success in transferring students. “PCC is not only number one in transfers in the state, but it has been for years,” Lyon said. “It is the premier community college in Southern California.”

Also highlighted at the celebration were the stories of Yazmin Gonzalez and Tristin Fowler—both PCC alumni who participated in the partnership, attended UCLA, and are now pursuing doctorates.

Gonzalez now directs programs for student success at the California Institute of Technology. Fowler returned to PCC where he works as a full-time counselor and instructor.

“I once needed someone to show me the way forward,” Fowler said. “Now I get to do that for others.”