Order of Degrees:

High School Diploma --> Associates Degree --> Bachelors Degree --> Masters Degree --> Doctorate Degree 

California Community College: "The California Community College system consists of 116 colleges. Each college offers a diverse array of educational programs. By attending a Community College, you can earn an Associates' Degree or Certificate and graduate; or transfer to a 4-year university. 

Examples of CCC: San Joaquin Delta College, Sacramento City College, Modesto Junior College, Chabot College, College of Alameda, etc...

Application Period: Open

California State University: The California State University system is made up of 23 universities with over thousands of degree options. You can earn a 4-year Bachelors's Degree. After graduating with your Bachelor's Degree, you can apply for your Masters (MA or MS) and Doctorate (Ph.D. or EdD)

Examples of CSUs: Sacramento State University, Cal State East Bay, Stanislaus State University, San Francisco State University, etc ...

Application Period: October 1st - November 30th

University of California: The University of California system is made up of 9 universities with tons of degree options. You can earn a 4-year Bachelors's Degree. After graduating with your Bachelor's Degree, you can apply for your Masters (MA or MS) and Doctorate (Ph.D. or EdD)

Examples of UCs: UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Merced, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz

Application Period: November 1st - November 30th

Common App: With over 900 universities, Common App is your go-to website when applying to private, public, in and out-of-state schools. 

Application Period: Varies based on school

Common Black College Application: There are 54 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) mostly located on the east coast of the U.S. You can earn a Bachelors, Master and Doctorate from one of the many HBCUs.

Application Period: Varies based on school