Cal State Monterey Bay provides over 7,000 students an extraordinary opportunity to learn on a residential campus just one mile from the shores of the beautiful Monterey Bay. Our diverse student body receives personal attention in small classes while pursuing degrees in 25 undergraduate and seven graduate majors.
Founded in 1994 on the former site of Fort Ord by educators and community leaders, Cal State Monterey Bay faculty and staff build on that legacy as we explore innovative ways to meet the needs of a new generation of students while simultaneously powering the Monterey County economy.
While we serve students from the entire state of California, 38 percent of our undergraduates come from Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. We pride ourselves on making higher education accessible to traditionally underserved and low-income populations. Seventy-two percent of our students receive some form of financial aid. Fifty-three percent of our students are among the first generation of their family to go to college. And with 52 percent of our students living on campus, we are one of the most residential universities in the CSU.
Our strategic plan is the framework for our processes and decision making. It informs and aids our focus as we set priorities. It guides us on the data to collect and evaluate in order to be effective in accomplishing our goals. It is the basis for making budget decisions and it serves as a reminder of what we value most.
Student Success
- Create a student-ready environment that promotes wellness and a sense of belonging.
- Promote academic excellence through challenging and supportive holistic learning.
- Help students create and achieve meaningful personal professional goals.
- Improve the affordability of a CSUMB education.
Inclusive Excellence
- Anticipate and respond to the needs of a diverse university community.
- Strengthen outreach, recruitment, retention, and professional development of diverse faculty, staff, and administrators.
- Leverage the diversity of our university community to enhance the educational experience for all students.
- Ensure graduates can engage in ethical reasoning and public action informed by historical, multicultural, global, ecological, and equity perspectives.
Regional Stewardship and Global Engagement
- Continue and expand community engagement.
- Develop programs and partnerships focused on regional stewardship that meets both community and student success goals.
- Implement the internationalization plan.
- Increase alumni engagement.
Organizational Learning
- Improve and enhance internal and external communications.
- Identify revenue options, funding models, and staffing plans to support sustainable growth.
- Support a culture of continuous improvement by assessing, evaluating, and improving all business practices.
- Leverage university resources to create innovative solutions that increase institutional effectiveness and sustainability.
- These four priorities provide the framework under which the university continues its efforts to operationalize its Mission, Vision, and Values.
The Strategic Budget Committee supports the campus community and each division in its development and execution of strategies that enhance student success, academic excellence, regional stewardship, and institutional capacity.
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has received several rankings and awards, including:
- U.S. News and World Report: Ranked 6th among public colleges in the West, 2nd in the western region for social mobility, and 4th on top performers on social mobility
- Forbes America's Top Colleges 2023: Ranked 131st overall, 17th among medium-sized schools, and 58th in public colleges
- Wall Street Journal: Ranked 119th out of the top 400 schools in the country
- Money Magazine: Received a 4.5-star rating (out of 5)
- Alumni Vision Award: Awarded to a student who exemplifies the university's vision statement through personal example, voice, and initiative
- Karen Lynn Rezavy Award for Community Impact Scholarship: Awarded to full-time students who demonstrate a commitment to the community
CSUMB also offers scholarships to help students pay for educational expenses. The best time to search and apply for scholarships is in the fall.
