California State University, Monterey Bay College Portrait
California State University, Monterey Bay100 Campus Center Seaside, CA 93955
(831) 582-3000
California State University, Monterey Bay
Vision Driven University
Committed to the success of every student, CSUMB takes advantage of its intimate overall enrollment, small class sizes, and talented teaching faculty to help students achieve big things. The faculty includes an American Book Award winner, three Fulbright Scholars, a MacArthur Fellow, and numerous other grant and award winners. More importantly, because CSUMB emphasizes excellence in instruction, faculty members dedicate themselves to mentoring students. As reported in USA Today, national researchers have recognized CSUMB for "an unshakable focus on student learning..." Given the university's commitment to creating access to quality higher education for underserved populations, many of its successful alumni represent the first generation in their families to graduate from college.
Living in the Otters Community
Connecting Diverse Communities
For the two-thirds of fulltime undergraduate students living on CSUMB's 1,387-acre campus, housing options include residence halls, suites, apartments, and family housing. Campus activities abound. NCAA Division II athletics, intramural and club sports, boating, outdoor recreation, hiking and cycling trails, and disc golf courses promote fitness. Student organizations offer a variety of political, musical, academic, special interest, social, and socially conscious activities. Musical groups, plays, and open mike events provide outlets for performers. And guest writers, entertainers, musicians, politicians, educators, and others fill evenings and minds. Minutes away, the Monterey Peninsula offers the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Carmel, Pebble Beach, 17-mile drive, and much more. The bay offers sailing, scuba, surfing, and kayaking, while the surrounding area invites cycling, hiking, and camping. The Undergraduate Advising Center actively assists students with course selection based on the student's academic and career goals, university requirements and pathways from first semester's entrance to graduation.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2011?
More Information
| Total Students | 5,173 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 4,814 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 2,934 | 61% |
| Men | 1,880 | 39% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 34 | 1% |
| Asian | 234 | 5% |
| African American / Black | 230 | 5% |
| Hispanic | 1,518 | 32% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 33 | 1% |
| White | 2,110 | 44% |
| Two or More Races | 305 | 6% |
| International | 63 | 1% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 287 | 6% |
| Where do CSUMB undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| California | 97% |
| Other US States & Territories | 2% |
| Other Countries | 1% |
| How old are CSUMB undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 23 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 18% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2011)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 18 - 23 | |
| Math | 17 - 24 | 430 - 550 |
| English | 17 - 23 | |
| Critical Reading | 430 - 540 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 45% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 85% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 73% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.19 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 100% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $19,833.00
Out-of-State & Other Costs
More Information
The cost to attend California State University, Monterey Bay varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 47% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $8,887.00. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 42% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,072.00. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
CSUMB Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 23 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 59% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 93% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 124 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 47% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 44% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 91% |
More Information
Campus-based Housing
88% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
61% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
Campus Safety supports the overall mission of CSUMB by providing the highest level of safety services possible. Our officers and staff are both courteous and prepared to assist students as well as make our campus a safe and secure learning environment. Police Administration personnel consist of non-sworn personnel in addition to sworn police officers such as the Chief, Lieutenant, and Patrol Sergeant or Watch Commander. Non-sworn personnel provide for administrative support, records-keeping, and property/evidence management.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Master's Colleges and Universities (smaller programs)
- Size and Setting
- Medium four-year, highly residential
- Enrollment Profile
- Very high undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Arts & sciences plus professions, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Postbaccalaureate, arts & sciences dominant
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
More Information
Student Activities and Involvement at CSUMB
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 96% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 56% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 18% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 88% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 20% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 43% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 73% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 11% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 97% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 97% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 67% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 66% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 95% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 51% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 79% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 98% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 74% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 72% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 93% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 70% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 74% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 80% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 80% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at California State University, Monterey Bay in 2010-11 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 702 |
| Master's | 95 |
| Total | 797 |
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2010-11 | |
|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General | 16% |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies | 13% |
| Psychology, General | 9% |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 9% |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness, General | 8% |
| Links to degree programs at California State University, Monterey Bay |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster's |
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 85% four-year success and progress rate means that 85% of students starting in Fall 2005 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
More Information
Counts for the Fall 2005 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 540 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 390 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2010 that returned for their second year: 79%
More Information
Student Learning at California State University, Monterey Bay
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
CSUMB is an outcomes-based institution and has systems in place that enable development of learning outcomes, assessment of student progress in meeting these outcomes, revision of outcomes when needed, and use of assessment to inform progress in student learning. Outcomes-based education is very well developed in the general education areas, the 13 University Learning Requirements. Each of these has learning outcomes, criteria, and standards used to assess student work. Like the general education program, all of the academic programs have major learning outcomes, which communicate the skills and abilities required of graduating seniors as well as the framework for each degree program, published in a variety of places including internally produces brochures and advising literature. Program faculties collaborate to assess student work for competence in major learning outcomes and use the findings to improve their programs.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
2010 - 11 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 978
Senior Score: 1071
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 956
Senior Score: 980
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1001
Senior Score: 1132
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 956
Senior Score: 980