Set Up to Succeed: Meeting California’s Postsecondary Education Attainment Goal

California’s position as a global economic powerhouse depends on an educated workforce prepared for evolving industry needs and civic participation. To expand opportunity for its residents, the state has set a goal of reaching 70% postsecondary attainment by 2030–a target that will require sustained progress, continued support, and stronger alignment across higher education. That means building clearer structures for collaboration across segments, updating statewide approaches that have long shaped how systems operate, and using shared measures of progress that can drive action toward the 2030 goal. This playbook is grounded in the urgency of moving from parallel efforts to coordinated, statewide momentum.

Complete College America and the Campaign for College Opportunity are pleased to present Set Up to Succeed: Meeting California’s Postsecondary Education Attainment Goal as a student-centered roadmap for strengthening how California supports completion at scale. The playbook emphasizes that sustained investment, shared accountability, and consistent measurement will be critical to maintaining progress toward the attainment goal. Implemented together, these approaches position California to better support students across pathways while strengthening the state’s ability to make progress and advance opportunity for every Californian.