UCSB Launches Bachelor’s Program Inside Corcoran State Prison

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - UC Santa Barbara is expanding access to higher education by bringing a new bachelor’s degree program directly into Corcoran State Prison in California’s Central Valley.

Through the initiative, UCSB will offer undergraduate coursework in the humanities to incarcerated students as part of a full four-year degree pathway. The program is designed to run over six academic quarters and will combine remote teaching with occasional in-person instruction from university faculty.

The effort marks the first time a University of California bachelor’s degree will be delivered inside a state prison through the LIFTED program.

University leaders report the goal is to broaden educational opportunity behind bars and give students tools to continue their studies and prepare for life after incarceration.

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