California's public higher education system has catapulted the state into global leadership such that, the state is the 5th largest economy in the world today. A bachelor's degree, in particular, provides unrivaled economic and health benefits for the individual earning the degree and for the state. To better understand how California's public colleges and universities contribute to the state's success, this brief provides an introduction to higher education in California and the state budget investments and policies that shape college opportunity and success for millions of California college students. [For the 2020 edition of this report, see ED610503.]