Postsecondary education data for California for the 1981-1982 academic year and comparative data from previous years are presented regarding enrollment, degrees conferred, faculty, finance, and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores. Narrative sections that highlight trends and information sources are also included. Enrollment data are presented for the three major segments of public higher education, other public institutions (e.g., Maritime Academy), adult schools, and independent institutions. Enrollment information includes: opening fall headcount enrollments, enrollments by age, sex, and ethnicity; full-time and part-time enrollments; and enrollments by level and field of study. Academic degree information is presented by discipline, type, sex, and ethnicity for the different sectors. Data on college-going rates are included. Faculty data include numbers of full-time teachers, mean salaries, tenure status by rank and sex, and financial data include general fund and property tax revenues expended for public institutions, operating incomes and expenditure budgets, undergraduate fees, and student financial aid. California and national SAT score data for 1976-1977 through 1980-1981 are also given. (SW)