Far WestSuburbanPublic4-yearPsychology

California State University: Monterey Bay

Accessible admissions with broad enrollment.

Seaside, CA6,910 students
Acceptance Rate
97%
less selective
Median SAT
1,025
Middle 50%: 900–1210
Net Price After Aid
$11.4k
Sticker $19.8k
Graduation Rate
63%
6-year, full-time

California State University: Monterey Bay is a public institution in Seaside, CA with an acceptance rate of 97% and 6,910 students. The middle 50% of admitted students score 900–1210 on the SAT and present an average GPA near 3.32. The average net price after financial aid is $11,435 per year.

About California State University: Monterey Bay

A public 4-year suburban university in Seaside, CA.

California State University: Monterey Bay campus
Campus · Seaside

California State University: Monterey Bay is a college in Seaside, CA. It enrolls roughly 6,910 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 97%. Admitted students typically score between 900 and 1210 on the SAT.

Far WestSuburbanPublic4-yearPsychology
Acceptance Rate
97%
Less Selective
Total Enrollment
6,910
Medium
Retention
80%
First-years returning
Graduation Rate
63%
6-year, full-time

Your chances at this school

What admitted students look like here. Sign in to see how your own profile compares.

Acceptance Rate
97%
97 of every 100 applicants admitted
Your Chances
Sign in to see your personalized chances.
Admitted Student GPA
3.32
Average across admitted students

Accessible admissions with broad enrollment.

What strengthens an application here

  1. SAT scores of 900 to 1210
    The middle half of admitted students scored in this range. A score in the upper part of it strengthens an application.
  2. A GPA near 3.32 or higher
    This is the average across admitted students.
  3. Depth in one or two activities
    Sustained commitment, a leadership role, or a result in a few activities says more than a long list of memberships.

Your chances estimate is based on your academic profile and activities — it is a guide, not a guarantee of admission. Decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.

Admissions

What it actually takes to get into California State University: Monterey Bay. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.

Admitted student profile

Range shown is the middle 50%.

SAT
composite, 1600 scale
9001,220
1,025
average
ACT
composite, 36 scale
2026
25
average
GPA
weighted, 4.5 max
3.003.71
3.32
average

This school doesn't require test scores, so these ranges reflect only students who chose to submit — applicants who submit tend to have higher scores. The real admitted range likely runs lower. Don't rule yourself out on scores alone.

Application requirements

  • Test-optional

Deadlines (2026-27)

Regular Decision
Nov 30, 2026

Source: the college's own admissions site, 2026-27 cycle — this college is not on the Common App (verified Sep 2026). Always confirm on the college's own site.

Cost & financial aid

Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at California State University: Monterey Bay after grants and scholarships.

Sticker price
—
Tuition $19,770
Average net price after aid
$11,435
64% of students receive financial aid

Net price by family income

Average amount paid out of pocket — tuition, fees, and room & board minus all grant aid.

$0 – $30,000
$9,654
$30,001 – $48,000
$11,487
$48,001 – $75,000
$13,868
$75,001 – $110,000
$17,745
$110,001 +
$23,874

Net price represents the average cost after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal financial aid.

Pell Grant Recipients
43%
Need-based federal grant
Take Federal Loans
28%
Avg loan $11,000 / year
Avg Grant Aid
—
Per receiving student / year

Academics & majors

Where students at California State University: Monterey Bay concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.

Student : Faculty
26:1
Class-size proxy
Primary Focus
Psychology
14% of degrees awarded
Retention
80%
First-years returning
A breakdown of the top majors by share of degrees awarded ships once we finish backfilling per-school program data.

Student body

Who attends California State University: Monterey Bay. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.

Race & ethnicity

  • White30%
  • Asian7%
  • Hispanic48%
  • Black3%
  • Two or more races8%
  • International3%

Gender

  • Female59%
  • Male41%
International
3%
Of total enrollment
Live on Campus
—
Undergraduate residential rate
Total Enrollment
6,910

Outcomes after graduation

What California State University: Monterey Bay graduates do next — and what they earn.

Median Earnings
$59.2k
10 years after enrollment
Employed at 2 yrs
—
Working or in grad school
Pursue Grad School
—
Within 5 years
Graduation Rate
63%
6-year, full-time

Is it worth it?

Earnings, debt, and price side by side — context for the cost-vs-payoff question, not a ranking.

Median earnings
$59.2k
10 yrs after entry
Typical debt
$11.0k
median, borrowers only
Avg. net price
$11.4k/yr
after aid
  • These numbers reflect who enrolls, not the value the school adds. A college's earnings can look high simply because it admits wealthier, higher-scoring students — not because of what happens there.
  • Earnings vary far more by major and career path than by school. A school-wide median blends engineers and artists into one number that may match no real student.
  • Federal earnings and debt figures cover only students who received federal aid, so they leave out full-pay students and can skew the picture.
  • Net price is an average across aided students and debt is the median for borrowers only — many students borrow nothing. Your actual cost depends on your own aid package.

What this means

$59k is near the national bachelor's-graduate median at the 10-year mark, and a 63% graduation rate is below the national average.

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