California, like other states, used to spend more on higher education per student before  recession hammered the economy in the early 2000s. Campuses absorbed big cuts. But in recent years, the state’s per-student spending has shot far above the national average.

Still, while UC and the Cal States have been getting more money from the state, the systems have had to rely increasingly on tuition revenue to afford their education missions, reflecting a national trend. Four decades ago, California funded 80% of UC’s education mission. Last year, it was less than half — and that’s a partial rebound from what it was during the tough recession years of the early 2000s. State support also collapsed mightily for Cal State, but has partially rebounded in recent years.