California State University, Monterey Bay

In the fall of 2020, of 482 teaching faculty, 262 held doctorates or another terminal degree, and 96 were members of minority groups.[2] The faculty includes an American Book Award winner and six Fulbright scholars.

As of spring 2020, the student body was 62% female and 38% male. 33% of students enrolled were under 21 years of age, 45% between 21 and 24, 14% between 25 and 30, 8% were 31 or older. The most common majors were business administration (13%), psychology (11%), computer science (9%), kinesiology (8%), and biology (8%). 43% of students came from Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties (all California counties) while 53% came from other parts of California, 2% from other U.S. states and 3% from outside the U.S. Nearly one third (32%) of students were low-income and just over half (53%) were first-generation college students. Distributed across class levels, 14% of students are freshmen, 12% sophomores, 27% juniors and 35% seniors; CSU Monterey Bay has a large proportion of transfer students. Graduate students make up 9%; 2% were seeking credentials and 1% were post-baccalaureate students.[11]

As of fall 2018 Cal State Monterey Bay has the second largest enrollment percentage of Americans of unknown race or ethnicity in the California State University system.[12] Approximately 50% of CSUMB students live on campus.[13]

The 2022-2023 USNWR Best Regional Colleges West Rankings ranks Monterey 4 on top performers on social mobility, 7 on top public schools and 247 in Nursing (tie). In 2021 Monterey ranked 17 on best undergraduate Teaching.[15]

Under a cooperative agreement with the NASA Ames Research Center, the university performs remote sensing, ecosystem modeling, and geospatial research for earth system science and health.[18] CSUMB researchers work in 10 areas, including coral reef monitoring, land use, carbon modeling and disease transmission.[19]

The NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship of Effective Division I sport is open to members of all three NCAA divisions. Only CSU Monterey Bay and CSU East Bay from the CCAA participate in the Western Water Polo Association.[22]

The Otters of CSU Monterey Bay earned 1 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships in 2011.[23]

Fraternities and sororities in the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) include:

• Alpha Kappa Alpha African American interest sorority
• alpha Kappa Delta Phi Asian interest sorority
• Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity
• Gamma Zeta Alpha Latino interest fraternity
• Delta Sigma Theta African American interest sorority
• Delta Omega Rho multicultural sorority
• Epsilon Sigma Rho multicultural fraternity
• Theta Alpha Sigma sorority
• Kappa Alpha Psi African American interest fraternity
• Kappa Delta Chi Latina Founded sorority
• Kappa Sigma fraternity
• Lambda Theta Nu Latina interest sorority
• Lambda Sigma Gamma multicultural sorority
• Nu Alpha Kappa Latino interest fraternity
• Sigma Theta Psi multicultural sorority
• Sigma Omega Nu Latina interest sorority
• Omega Delta Phi multicultural fraternity

A residence hall in the Quad portion of the campus.

CSUMB offers housing in many areas around campus. On the main campus there are eight residence halls each renovated Army barracks. Willet, Cypress, Manzanita, Asilomar, Yarrow, Avocet, Tortuga, and Sanderling Halls surround the main quad on campus. Pinnacles and Vineyard Suites as well as Strawberry Apartments make up North Quad on the north end of campus. In fall of 2015, the university opened three new residence halls, called Promontory, all of which offering apartment size dormitories.[26]

The Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library has 136,151 square feet (12,648.8 m²) of floor space.[27] It is located at Divarty and Fifth streets, and diagonally across from the Chapman Science Center. A roundabout sits between the library and the science building. The Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library is certified LEED Silver and has been cited for a range of sustainable design strategies from daylighting and low-energy use to healthy carpets, water conservation, and high-recycled content materials.[27]

Aside from being the largest building on the CSUMB campus, it is the greenest in terms of energy usage. Up to 30% less electricity is needed, for example, because of floor-to-ceiling glass walls that let in natural light. Additionally, ventilation techniques operate through the floor instead of the ceiling, allowing cooler air to travel a lesser distance. The light let in from the atrium is indirect rather than direct sunlight.

CSUMB has other locations within Monterey County, including CSUMB at Ryan Ranch (in Monterey), CSUMB at North Salinas, and CSUMB at Salinas City Center.[28] The National Steinbeck Center is located at CSUMB at Salinas City Center.

CSUMB relies on Monterey–Salinas Transit for transportation among its various locations.