California State University-Monterey Bay
Seaside, California · Public · 4-year · Suburb
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $13,663What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 97%
- Graduation rate
- 61%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 6,819
- In-state tuition
- $7,779Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $20,379
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $59,247Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$13,6633/5
Better than 58% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).
Completion
61%4/5
Better than 71% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).
Earnings
$59,2474/5
Better than 65% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).
Debt at graduation
$12,7505/5
Better than 94% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$26,987
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$13,663
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 61% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 80% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $12,750 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $59,247 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $117,088 | 59 |
| Computer Science | $71,458 | 207 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $47,825 | 241 |
| Human Services, General | $37,501 | 90 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $35,760 | 11 |
| Biology, General | $35,312 | 133 |
| Social Sciences, General | $34,678 | 109 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $34,246 | 11 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $34,089 | 69 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $30,712 | 68 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $30,413 | 250 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $30,378 | 47 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $29,929 | 132 |
| Psychology, General | $29,168 | 293 |
| Music | $28,009 | 12 |
| Marine Sciences | $27,268 | 84 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $24,496 | 51 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 28 |
| Plant Sciences | Not reported | 27 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Not reported | 23 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 19 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 6 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 5 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not reported | 2 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
All 29 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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