CSU, CSUSM Launch National Center for Social Mobility

The California State University (CSU) and California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) have announced the launch of the CSU National Center for Social Mobility at CSUSM, a first-of-its-kind initiative that will advance the upward mobility of students across our nation.

The announcement was made Friday, Feb. 6, following the 2026 National Social Mobility Symposium, hosted at CSUSM and livestreamed to audiences across the United States. The symposium annually convenes thought leaders and policymakers focused on how higher education can continue to be a driving force for students’ upward social mobility.

Social mobility refers to the improvement of an individual’s socioeconomic status compared to previous generations. More than half of CSUSM students are first-generation college graduates. Late last fall, CSUSM was ranked No. 1 in CollegeNET’s Social Mobility Index for the second time in four years. Eight CSU campuses rank in the top 20 of the index.

“Cal State San Marcos is honored to serve as the home of the CSU National Center for Social Mobility,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “This recognition reflects years of intentional work by our faculty, staff and students – and a deep commitment to being a university of place, with social mobility at the center of our mission.”

CSUSM has secured $3 million in philanthropic donations to establish the center, including from the Stone Brewing Fund for Social Mobility, the Epstein Family Foundation and an anonymous donor – with each donating $1 million to the project. CSUSM Foundation Board Chair Simon Kuo presented a ceremonial check to CSU and CSUSM leadership Friday.

The center is seeking additional philanthropic partners to ensure its sustained impact. Contact Jocelyn Wyndham, associate vice president of development, at jwyndham@csusm.edu for more information on partnership opportunities.

About the Center

The CSU National Center for Social Mobility at CSUSM, which is scheduled to launch in the 2026-27 academic year, is designed as a collaborative effort to advance student success and economic mobility practices in higher education at a national scale.

“At its core, the center addresses one of the most urgent questions facing higher education today: How do we move from promising practices to proven systems that deliver results at scale?” CSU Chancellor Mildred García said.

The social mobility center will serve as a national leader and convener in redefining student success beyond college access to include persistence, completion and career outcomes.

The center will be based on three core pillars:

• Leading with best practices, including the identification, testing and scaling of strategies that remove barriers to graduation.
• Shaping the national dialogue, such as championing comprehensive student support as the foundation of upward mobility.
• Serving as a national hub for collaboration, which involves building partnerships with policymakers, educators, community organizations and industry.

This center will provide avenues to participate in faculty-led research, innovation grants and fellowships; access to shared tools, data and best practices; and new paid internships and career-building opportunities for students.

“At a time when higher education is being asked to demonstrate its value, the CSU is responding with action – by measuring outcomes, closing equity gaps and preparing the graduates who power our economy and enrich communities,” said Wenda Fong, trustee and past chair of the CSU Board of Trustees. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are proud to support this center and the leadership of Cal State San Marcos in advancing this work nationwide. It’s a dream come true.”

The announcement of the social mobility center was the culmination of the 2026 National Social Mobility Symposium, which this year took the format of a joint in-person event and webinar. With a theme of “Workforce and Economic Mobility: Higher Education’s Role in Driving Opportunity,” the program featured dynamic experts from across the country, addressing employer expectations, talent pipelines, systemic barriers to career readiness, and national policy and innovation driving mobility.