College admissions season is being made a little less stressful for some California high school students this year through a direct admission program launched by the California State University system.
The Direct Admission Pilot Program is a collaboration between the Riverside County Office of Education and the CSU. Launched last October, the program offers any Riverside County student who meets eligibility requirements conditional acceptance to 10 campuses.
“The CSU wants students to know that the door to college opportunity is open to them, and to help relieve some of the stress and uncertainty about applying for college,” said CSU spokeswoman Hazel Kelly. “Direct admission programs are designed to expand access to the CSU for more Californians and are part of a broader enrollment strategy.”
The 10 campuses involved in the pilot program are: Cal State Monterey Bay, Channel Islands, Chico, East Bay, Humboldt, Maritime Academy, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Marcos and Sonoma.
“The university receives applications from across the state, and while the CSU Chancellor’s Office direct admissions pilot with Riverside County can help with growth,” said Ben Corpus, vice president of enrollment management and student affairs at CSUMB, “our excitement was the new process that pushed through a complicated application process and allowed students and families immediate relief to know they are welcome, they belong and they are admissible to the CSU.”
Approximately 17,000 students were offered admission for the fall 2025 semester before having to submit an application. Around 13,000 students accepted the invite and applied to the participating campuses, which is about 3,000 more students from Riverside County than applied last year.
Kelly said through the pilot program, the CSU has heard from students who said they weren’t aware of their CSU eligibility and opportunity to go to a four-year university and are now reconsidering their plans post-graduation.
Admitted students will still have to submit a formal application, but without the uncertainty that usually comes with applying. The admission is conditional on the terms that students continue to meet A-G requirements after being admitted, keep their GPA up and complete additional enrollment steps such as confirming their intent to attend and going to orientation.
“We are grateful for this ground-breaking partnership with the CSU to expand access to a world-class college education for our diverse and talented students in Riverside County,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez in a news release last fall.
“As one of the fastest growing regions in California, the need for college-educated professionals will continue to soar, and this partnership will remove barriers to higher education, welcoming more college-ready students to the CSU system through this innovative direct admission program,” said Gomez.
The program would help boost CSUMB’s already growing enrollment, something the university has been working toward for some time. Last fall, first-year applications were up 25% compared to the previous year and confirmed first-year deposits were up 40%.
“The Riverside County pilot is one of several innovative access strategies we’re exploring—not the only one,” said Corpus. “We view this as a promising way to connect earlier and more directly with eligible students, especially in regions that reflect the diversity and energy of California’s future.”
The CSU plans to expand the program past Riverside County according to Kelly. Through the CSU’s partnership with the California College Guidance Initiative, a data-driven organization that helps streamline college and career pathways, more students across the state will have access to resources about CSU eligibility and the direct admissions program.