California State University-Monterey Bay — College Profile

About

Situated on the historic grounds of the former Fort Ord military base near the Pacific coast, California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is best known for its dedication to environmental stewardship, social justice, and hands-on learning. Capitalizing on its coastal setting, the university offers exceptionally strong programs in marine science, environmental studies, and biology, alongside acclaimed degrees in cinematic arts and business. Campus culture is relaxed, diverse, and outdoor-centric, defined by a tight-knit student body that actively enjoys access to local marine habitats and redwood forests. Setting CSUMB apart is its mandatory service-learning curriculum, which integrates meaningful community engagement directly into the undergraduate degree requirements.

Wikipedia:California State University, Monterey Bay is a public university located in Monterey County, California, United States. The main campus is situated on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, spanning the cities of Seaside and Marina, approximately one mile inland from Monterey Bay along the Central Coast of California. CSUMB also maintains locations in the cities of Monterey and Salinas. Founded in 1994, CSUMB is part of the California State University system and is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. The university is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Location

Seaside, CA, 93955-8001 · Suburb campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

SJC · San Jose

50 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$7,779$20,379

Housing & food (on campus)$17,234$17,234

Books & supplies$899$899

Cost of attendance$31,673$39,587 est.

Average net price$13,663Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$20,379

In-state: $7,779

Housing & food (on campus)$17,234

Books & supplies$899

Cost of attendance$39,587 est.

In-state: $31,673

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $13,663

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: csumb.edu

How it’s made up · in-state, 2026-27

California State University-Monterey Bay’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.

Tuition$6,838

Fees$2,349

Housing$11,169

Food$6,279

Books & supplies$854

Personal expenses$2,674

Transportation$1,510

Total published by the school$31,673

Source: csumb.edu · checked Sep 29, 2026

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$9,970

$30–48k

$9,981

$48–75k

$12,440

$75–110k

$16,281

$110k+

$22,818

Your family's actual price → California State University-Monterey Bay net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

61%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

39%

Back for yr 2

80%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

62% graduated · 29% transferred · 8% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$48,648

10 yrs after entry$59,247

Debt

Median at graduation$12,750

Monthly payment$135

Middle 50% owe$5.5k–$18k

90th percentile$25,000

Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (larger programs): 54% graduate within 6 yrs, $55,177 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

97%

Test policy

Not required

Per College Scorecard

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Essay prompts

If California State University-Monterey Bay asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body

Gender

Men 41%Women 59%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

24 : 1

Pell grant

43%

First-gen

52%

Family income

$28,759

Independent

36%

Veterans

Age at entry

23.0

Part-time

11%

Race & ethnicity

White

26%

Hispanic

56%

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division II without football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's
Water Polo
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$48,648

After 10 yrs

$59,247

Psychology, General293

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities250

Business Administration, Management and Operations241

Computer Science207

Biology, General133

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness132

Social Sciences, General109

Human Services, General90

Marine Sciences84

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services69

Natural Resources Conservation and Research68

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing59

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication51

Design and Applied Arts47

Mathematics28

Plant Sciences27

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$44M

Full-time faculty

51%

Faculty salary

$12,135/mo

Teaching spend

$11,704

per student

Federal loans

28%

Classification

Carnegie type

Master's (larger programs)

Research activity

Research college or university

$12M research spending

Undergraduate profile