More selective than 4% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,987. College Scorecard.
Higher than 45% of California colleges we cover and 60% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 39% of California colleges we cover and 68% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
CSUMB acceptance rate & admissions
Of 11,769 applicants, California State University-Monterey Bay admitted 11,160 and 943 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
CSUMB tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
CSUMB majors, earnings & careers
California State University-Monterey Bay offers 29 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at CSUMB
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $134,489 | $9,489 |
| Computer Science | $101,787 | $16,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $74,298 | — |
| Business Administration | $72,558 | $13,500 |
| Mathematics | $62,943 | $18,000 |
| International / Global Studies | $61,480 | $14,093 |
| Marine Sciences | $59,782 | $17,800 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $59,017 | $13,750 |
Quick list of all 29 majors
- Biology$55,654
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$39,954
- Business Administration$72,558
- Computer and Information Sciences$74,298
- Computer Science$101,787
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$51,598
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$48,639
- Hospitality Management$55,856
- Human Development and Family Studies$51,118
- Human Services$56,719
- International / Global Studies$61,480
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,736
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$59,017
- Linguistics—
- Marine Sciences$59,782
- Mathematics$62,943
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$40,077
- Nursing$134,489
- Plant Sciences—
- Psychology$54,074
- Social Sciences$57,200
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$39,824
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$34,006
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Salinas
Overall prices in the Salinas, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,416. Housing costs 46% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 17 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Monterey County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Monterey County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare CSUMB with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Monterey Bay | 97% | $13,663 | 59% | $59,247 | This school |
| California State University-Stanislaus | 98% | $6,067 | 53% | $63,188 | |
| Sonoma State University | 93% | $12,885 | 58% | $65,986 | |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 98% | $13,171 | 49% | $47,626 | |
| California State University-Channel Islands | 95% | $9,849 | 51% | $62,152 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
California State University-Monterey Bay would cost you $7,596 more per year than California State University-Stanislaus, on average.
- Higher sticker price at California State University-Monterey Bay, mostly from more California State University-Stanislaus students living at home, which lowers its average (+$3,913).
- California State University-Stanislaus gives aided families $348 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | CSUMB | California State University-Stanislaus | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,779 | $8,246 | −$467 |
| Books & supplies | $864 | $1,038 | −$174 |
| Housing & meals | $16,413 | $12,728 | +$3,685 |
| Personal & travel | $4,005 | $3,714 | +$291 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,074 | −$5,987 | +$3,913 |
| Sticker price | $26,987 | $19,739 | +$7,248 |
| Average grants | −$13,324 | −$13,672 | +$348 |
| You pay | $13,663 | $6,067 | +$7,596 |
“+” means CSUMB costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about CSUMB
What is the CSUMB acceptance rate?
California State University-Monterey Bay accepts 97% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 11,160 of 11,769 applicants were admitted.
How much does California State University-Monterey Bay cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,987 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,663 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,970 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,818.
How much do CSUMB graduates earn?
Former California State University-Monterey Bay students earn a median $59,247 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the CSUMB graduation rate?
59% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “California State University-Monterey Bay: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-monterey-bay (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).