Remedial Education in California’s Colleges and Universities

Remedial courses, also known as developmental or basic skills education, generally cover high school material and are aimed at students deemed unprepared for college-level work. At CSU, Latino and African American students are about twice as likely to be placed in a remedial class as their white and Asian American counterparts. At CCC, all groups enroll in remediation at high rates; however, Latino and African American students are more likely to enroll in remedial courses than their white and Asian American peers. What is more, Latinos and African Americans are also more likely to enroll in lower levels of remediation. Similar patterns occur with low-income students and their higher-income peers at both CSU and CCC.