Mon, 26 Oct, 2026, 03:46 pm
Reported by The UCSD Guardian
At UC San Diego, 89.3% of admitted transfer students for the 2025-26 academic year are from California community colleges, and 33% of the undergraduate class is made up of transfer students. But what are the stories behind this statistic? For many, community college is a meaningful pathway that shapes their goals and circumstances.
Itzel Ferrer, a fourth-year who transferred Fall 2025 from Porterville College in the Central Valley, chose the transfer pathway after the Tulare County floods in 2023, despite other opportunities at four-year universities. Image Courtesy of Itzel Ferrer “I decided to attend community college after a natural disaster destroyed my home, the same day I found out I had gotten into my dream university,” Ferrer said in an interview with The UCSD Guardian.
When that occurred I was left with two choices: leave my family and add onto their debt or stay and help my family rebuild our home, so I chose to go to community college.” While Ferrer admits it was a hard decision, she affirms that she has never regretted it.
After transferring to UCSD, Ferrer faced difficulties adjusting to the fast-paced quarter system and when attempting to join premedical clubs. Only three California community colleges operate on the quarter schedule, making this a common obstacle for some transfer students’ initial success.
