<p>Here in California It is becoming nearly impossible to graduate in four from a California State University (CSU). Both my sons go to CSU Sacramento where the four year graduation rate is about 10%. My older son is a Geology major who did not have to take any remedial courses and has taken a full 15 credits each semester but will be lucky to get his degree in five years. The budget situation has resulted in severe cuts in the number of classes that are being offered. Prerequisites for his major are Calculus, Physics and Chemistry. Because there are so few seats available in core courses he was not able to finish his three semesters of Calculus until the end of his sophomore year. He was not able to get into the first of three semesters of Physics until the second semester of his sophomore year, is taking the second semester now, the first semester of his Junior year and will also finally finish his lower division Geology courses this semester. He has still not been able to get into General Chemistry I which is a prerequisite for nearly all upper division Geology courses. If he can finally take Chemistry next semester he will finally be able to start taking upper division Geology courses at the beginning of his senior year.</p>
<p>My younger son is a freshman Physics major and was able to get into Calculus I his first semester due to a very high score on the placement test but there is no guarantee he will get into Calculus II next semester and it does not look like he will be able to take any Physics classes at all until sometime in his sophomore year.</p>
<p>The problem is that the CSUs have cut back on the number of Chemistry I sections at a time when more students than ever are majoring in Pre-med and Engineering who all have to take Chemistry. All Engineering majors also have to take three semesters of Calculus and three semesters of Physics. So, even though the number of Geology and Physics majors is very small they have to compete for scarce seats in lower division science and math classes with a very large numbers of students in majors that are very popular. When you can not even get into your lower division prerequisite courses during your first three years at a CSU, of course it is going to take five years or longer to get your degree.</p>