California is projected to fall 1.1 million bachelor's degrees short of economic demand by 2030. Expanding access to higher education could help shrink the gap, but California also needs to boost the likelihood that students who enroll in college will stay on track to earn degrees. The share of adults with bachelor's degrees is slightly larger in California than in the United States as a whole--but students often take longer than four years to graduate. This increases individual costs, delays entry into the workforce, and reduces the number of slots for new students. California is more reliant on its community colleges as a point of entry to postsecondary education than almost any other state. Additionally, findings show completion rates are low at community colleges; the transfer process can be complicated, but it is improving; and students who do eventually transfer are likely to earn degrees. Many factors influence completion rates at two-year and four-year colleges, but preparedness plays a major role. Entering students who are ready to take college-level courses can graduate more quickly--and when remediation is needed, it should facilitate rather than deter student progress. The state can boost the number of college graduates by helping students who enroll in its public and private institutions make timely progress toward degrees. [This publication is part of a briefing kit that highlights California's most pressing higher education challenges in eight key areas. For the complete briefing kit, see ED603851.]