CCDPP Update: How Many California College Students Benefit from CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits

October 8, 2025

New data points from the California College Data and Policy Project (CCDPP)

The Project is a joint initiative of the California Policy Lab and the Center for Studies in Higher Education. The CCDPP will generate new insights and research on what works to better support California students and their families as they transition through the education system.

Key findings from CalWORKs data point

At California Community Colleges:

In 2022–23, about 57,400 students (3% of all CCC students) participated in CalWORKs or lived in a CalWORKs household.
CalWORKs participation was highest among CCC students in the Central Valley (5.3% of all enrolled students), followed by the Inland Empire (3.7% of students), and San Diego (3.3% of students).
Students in their 30s had the highest participation rates at the CCCs

At the University of California:

In 2022–23, about 1,100 undergraduate students (0.5%) and less than 100 graduate students (0.08%) participated in CalWORKs or lived in a CalWORKs household.
CalWORKs participation is more common at UC Merced than other UC campuses, with 1.2% of students participating (combining undergraduates and graduate students), followed by UC Riverside (0.6%) and UC Santa Cruz (0.5%).

Key findings from CalFresh data point:

At California Community Colleges:

CalFresh participation rates increased in every CCC region in AY 2022-23 relative to AY 2021-22. The Central Valley continued to have the highest participation rate (21.6%) and had the largest increase from the prior school year (+3.8 percentage points).
Among CCC students, participation rates were highest for those aged 30 to 34 years old (19.4%). These students comprised 11% of all CCC CalFresh participants, despite being just 8% of CCC students.

At the University of California:

CalFresh participation rates increased for both undergraduates and graduate students at every UC campus relative to 2021-22 levels.
UC Santa Barbara and UC Merced continue to have the highest undergraduate participation rates, with over a quarter of students participating (29.5% and 25.2%, respectively), while UC San Francisco continues to have the highest graduate participation rates (34.9%, more than twice that of the next highest campus).
Among UC undergraduates, participation rates increase with tenure, with seniors having the highest CalFresh participation rate (24.7%) and freshman having the lowest (15.1%).