College is next year’s destination for 95 percent of the 2013 graduating class. Whether it’s a community college or a four-year university, many students this year are choosing to move farther away from home than they have in the past.
California has become less desirable for seniors this year. Compared to the 61 percent of graduating students last year, only 56 percent will stay in California this year.
Senior Sydney Bell is one of many students who have chosen to attend college out of state. Bell committed to University of Michigan for crew after considering a few schools in California, and said she is looking forward to experiencing a different culture, getting a better perspective, and meeting new people.
“It’s a brand new slate,” Bell said. “A lot of [Redwood] kids go to schools in California and there will be less people that I would know at Michigan.”
While Bell is moving away from home, other students plan on staying close by. Nearly 21 percent of the graduating class plans to attend colleges in the Bay Area.
The number of students attending junior or community colleges has increased slightly this year. Last year, 31 percent of the graduating class planned on attending a junior or community college, while this year, 33 percent plan on attending a junior or community college.
Of the 66 students attending a California junior or community college, 35 plan on going to College of Marin and 16 plan on going to Santa Barbara City College.
UCs have always been popular destinations for graduating seniors, but this year they were less popular. Of the seniors attending California colleges, 24 percent are attending a UC. This compares to last year’s 30 percent of seniors attending California colleges.
Religiously affiliated schools such as Notre Dame and University of San Diego have also become less popular. Last year, 13 seniors chose to attend a religiously affiliated school, while this year, that number fell to eight.
The number of students attending CSUs and private universities has also increased slightly, with 23 percent of students this year planning on going to a CSU, compared to last year’s 21 percent. Additionally, 31 percent of seniors chose to attend a private college, compared to last year’s 29 percent.
