If you want to take a math, science or English course at a California community college next fall, you may be in for some disappointment. Students in this state are more than twice as likely as those in other states to be shut out of the community college courses they need, according to a national survey. Classes were so packed that 47% of students said they were not able to enroll in one or more needed courses.
Part of this is because California has unusually low tuition, and the state is built on easy access to college. And with 2.7 million students, California's community college system is the nation's largest. Despite the low tuition rates, in-state students report having more financial pressures than in other states, with many dropping courses because of it.