A Complex Equation: Confronting Math Obstacles on the Transfer Path

For the many community college students hoping to transfer to a four-year university, the transfer process can be perplexing. Math is often a significant barrier along the way, contributing to the confusion and narrowing the path to bachelor’s degree programs, particularly in STEM fields.

A Complex Equation: Confronting Math Obstacles on the Transfer Path examines the role of math in the transfer process. The report reveals common obstacles impeding students’ academic progress, documenting how they contend with a gate of math anxiety while navigating a maze of inconsistent requirements at a pace that is often dictated by inflexible course scheduling. Through dozens of interviews with higher education professionals and students, the report sheds light on these systemic barriers that too often result in significant academic, financial, and personal tolls on students—and offers actionable steps, from state regulations to college policy updates, to transform the process.

In an April 2026 supplement, A Complex Equation: The Transfer Maze Continues, Alexis Robin Hale and Zachary Fauconier evaluate math requirements for four popular majors across the nine undergraduate University of California campuses and 23 California State University campuses. The analysis shows significant variation in both the number of courses and specific courses required for highly sought-after majors. These include STEM majors such as biology and computer science and less math-intensive options such as business and psychology. This variation illustrates how the transfer maze frequently creates barriers for students, contributing to delays they face in becoming eligible to transfer to more than one campus.

Together, the report and supplement provide an in-depth perspective of transfer challenges and opportunities. The resources aim to advance the literature on transfer and to improve the pathway to a four-year degree.