Start Here. Succeed Anywhere.
Calbright is California’s only fully online community college. Our programs build on the skills you already have and prepare you for in-demand jobs in growing fields through industry-valued certificates. We are open and currently FREE for adult California residents with a high school diploma or equivalent.
Launch Your Calbright Future
Getting started is easy! Enroll today.
Start a flexibly paced program that fits your life's priorities.
Calbright’s curriculum begins with you and fits around your schedule. Our programs build on what you already know and teach the technical skills you need to access a new career. And our career services team helps you present your work experience in ways that companies value. You study when you have time – between shifts or after the kids have gone to bed – and have access to Calbright’s faculty as well as our academic support team to help you every step of the way.
Calbright students are working adults from all across California.
“I love that it’s self-paced, but also that unlike a lot of programs where they say it’s self-paced – there’s guidance attached with that at Calbright. You get to decide your schedule, but they work out a plan with you that fits your life.”
“I know a lot of people are planning to get through their programs fast, they like how quickly they can do everything, but I’m taking it slow. I tell anybody who will listen that I’m here to learn the material, not just to pass the test. I really want to understand computers. Calbright doesn’t just let me take all the time I need, they let me take all the time I want.”
“What’s good about Calbright is that they provide this path, where you know what you need to do. And they offer a lot of support. That’s the most important thing.”
“I didn’t need much help. The program is so seamless and straightforward. I read the documentation that was provided to me, I read the emails, I read what I was supposed to do, and the interface is really user friendly. I didn’t need to reach out to anybody because it was all there.”
“I got in and then I felt like my life changed, I did a 180. Everybody was reaching out to me. I was getting all these Slack messages telling me things I could sign up for and do. Even though it’s remote it made me feel like I was doing a lot of things with people. It really made me feel fulfilled after two years of not doing anything.”
Our Programs
We take the skills you have and build on them with the technical training you need to transition to a new career. Calbright offers academic and career support to help you master the curriculum and prepare for your job search.
The following programs are currently open for enrollment:
Note: While Calbright programs are flexibly paced, enrollment agreements are limited in duration.
Students are enrolled in successive 6-month terms for a maximum program length of three years.
Learn more: Program Info Sessions
Tuition-Free Programs
Our online community college is currently tuition free for residents of California, over the age of 18, with a high school diploma or GED.
Certificate in Less Than One Year
We measure progress by the skills you’ve mastered — not by how many hours you’ve spent in the classroom — so you can move at the speed that’s right for you. Students can complete their certificate in 8-10 months (4-6 for the CRM program) with an average weekly commitment of 6-12 hours.
Academic and Career Support
In addition to tutoring and academic support, our career services team can help you prepare for your job search, from practicing interviews and refining your resume to virtual events with employers and industry professionals.
FAQs
Who can be a student at Calbright?
Calbright is open to all California residents aged 18 years or older who have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
All Californians — regardless of immigration status — are welcome to enroll.
It is really free? How?
Yes! All of our programs are currently free thanks to public funding from the State of California. That includes program tuition, testing costs, and technology resources like laptops and WiFi devices from our lending library.
Because our programs are free, we don’t need to offer financial aid.
Why should I attend Calbright?
First, our training programs prepare you to earn industry-recognized certifications (via exams offered by third-party providers like CompTIA and Salesforce), proof to employers that you’re ready to succeed in a new career on day one of employment.
Second, every student that completes a program also gets a dedicated team of professional experts that will coach you to be the best version of yourself during your job search.
Third, all of our courses are flexibly-paced and 100% online — designed around your own unique life circumstances so school never gets in the way of other priorities.
Plus, Calbright comes at no out-of-pocket cost to you. Even the cost of the exams to receive industry-recognized certifications (such as the CompTIA A+, Security+, and Salesforce Certified Administrator exams) in your program of choice are covered.
We also offer resources that include (but are not limited to) technology support through our Chromebook and WiFi hotspot lending library; career counseling; and mental health services. All this and more make Calbright a great choice if you’re looking to level up your skillset.
What job training programs do you offer? What makes them unique?
We currently have five online, flexibly-paced training programs: IT Support, Medical Coding*, Cybersecurity, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platform Administration, and Equitable Health Impacts: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
These programs are the first of many, with each fitting into wraparound services designed to prepare you for success in the job market.
*Please note that we are currently not accepting new applications into the Medical Coding program.
What kind of time commitment should I expect as a Calbright student?
That depends on you and the pace you want to set, but all of our courses are designed to be completed in the shortest time possible — generally under a year. Your specific estimated time of completion will be determined when you meet with your Academic Success Counselor to develop your Comprehensive Student Education Plan (CSEP).
You can expect complete a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) certificate in less than six months with an average weekly commitment of 6-12 hours.
For our IT and Cybersecurity programs, expect to complete your certificate in eight to ten months, assuming the same weekly commitment of 6-12 hours.
With consistent time and progress, you could complete the Equitable Health Impacts: DEI program in as little as 10 weeks.
How long does it take to enroll and start classes?
Starting an application is easy! If you’re ready to begin your journey with us, click here. If you still have questions or would like to get in contact another way, you’ve got plenty of options.
You can always reach out to success@calbright.org and someone from our team will get back with you via email ASAP.
You can also use the webchat function on our homepage, call us at 1-833-956-0225, or text us at (510) 330-1817.
