California State University, Monterey Bay Admission
California State University, Monterey Bay Undergraduate Program
California State University, Monterey Bay Application

The Facts

California State University, Monterey Bay is a rather small member of the larger, state-supported CSU system with 22 branch universities throughout the state of California. CSU Monterey Bay is located in the town of Seaside, California, about 90 miles south of San Francisco, and is home to over 3,200 undergraduate students and approximately 450 graduate and part-time professional students. The school is perhaps best known for its renowned earth science program, which includes the division of marine biology, in which students have the opportunity to work aboard the school’s own research vessel. CSU Monterey Bay is divided up into several smaller graduate and undergraduate schools which offer programs in the divisions of arts and sciences, communications, education and professional training, as well as science and technology. These divisions offer broad majors in the areas of business (which includes an innovative program in management science), communications and the arts, computer and physical science, education, and the social sciences (which is home to a renowned gender studies program). Some of the most commonly chosen majors include computer science, technology, liberal studies, business administration, as well as earth science.

Admission to CSU Monterey Bay is not nearly as competitive as some of the other CSU member schools; however, the number of qualified in-state and out-of-state students applying has been increasing with each passing admissions cycle. Last year, over 4,200 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 2,800 of those students were accepted; of those, about 950 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1030 to 1100, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 20 to 27. Additionally, more than 70% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.76.

CSU Monterey Bay has a rather manageable student to faculty ratio of 21:1, however, there are some much larger CSU schools that have managed to keep theirs even lower. In general, students give their professors high marks in terms of accessibility and willingness to help out, although they do often complain about the lack of accessibility in terms of the administration.

The Social Scene

The town of Seaside is quite suburban, and offers students plenty of outdoor entertainment such as surfing and rock climbing. However, for students craving a taste of city life, San Francisco is only about an hour and a half away by car, a convenience many students own. Weekend road trips up to the city are quite popular, and we’ve heard it’s quite easy to hitch a ride if you are lacking in the transportation department. There are no fraternities or sororities at the university, which is rare among CSU and state schools in general. There are definitely parties, and drinking is a popular mode of social interaction, however, it is not as prevalent here as at other CSU schools.

The dating scene is tame but pleasant. There are plenty of laid back, beachy types just waiting to be swept off their feet...

What’s Good

“This feels nothing like a state school to me; you feel like you’re at a small, private school, which is such a luxury.”

“The professors are incredible. Every day in class, I’m basically in awe of their abilities.”

“The campus is really nice, and you get a full on natural experience just walking from class to class.”

What’s Bad

“The lack of fraternities and sororities makes for a pretty dismal social atmosphere, especially on the weekends.”

“If you don’t like to surf, there’s not a whole lot to do here. You have to go up to San Francisco for any real fun.”

“People are kind of cliquey here. I have to admit, sometimes I feel like I’m still in high school or something.”

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