Senate Bill 640, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 6, guarantees admission for almost all in-state applicants applying to a California state university, starting in the fall 2027 cycle.
The bill applies to any California student attending public schools, county offices of education or charter schools who meet CSU’s minimum requirements of a 2.50 GPA and at least a C in 15 A-G high school courses. Students will still need to fill out the CSU application but will be automatically admitted to any CSU they apply to, besides California San Jose State, San Diego State, California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo, California State Polytechnic Pomona, California State Fullerton and California State Long Beach universities, which were excluded due to over-enrollment.
“One of the really important things to note with this program is that meeting the Northwood graduation requirements doesn’t mean you are automatically eligible for the direct admissions program,” Northwood counselor Kate West said. “For CSUs, you’re going to need level two of a language and also one year of a visual or performing art. It’s really important that you keep track of the difference between the two and make sure you understand how to get into these schools.”
The bill, proposed by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, aims to address declining CSU enrollment by simplifying the admission process.
Last year, California tested this with a pilot program in Riverside County, where seniors were given guaranteed admission to 10 CSU campuses through a simplified application. According to the Institute of Higher Education Policy, when compared to 2024, the direct admissions program resulted in a 15% application rate increase and a 43% commitment rate increase for Riverside County’s fall 2025 applicants.
“I feel like it is a great opportunity to increase the education level of citizens in California, but I’m also concerned that it could be unfair for students who put in a lot of effort versus those that only put in the bare minimum,” junior Angel Song said. “However, I also know a lot of people who were student-athletes [at] Northwood and are now going to Cal State schools, and they are thriving in it, so I think Cal States in general are a good learning opportunity that people should have access to.”
Starting in February, CSU will collaborate with districts and high schools to obtain student information on those who qualify for direct admissions. For the fall 2027 cycle, qualifying students will receive admission offers but will still need to complete the application.
To determine eligibility beforehand, students can also visit the California College Guidance Initiative, which is recommended by the CSU, or CaliforniaColleges.edu, which is currently used by Northwood.
