Located on California’s Central Coast amidst breathtaking natural beauty and cultural splendor, California State University Monterey Bay boasts a spacious 1,387-acre campus. The Monterey Bay region has a rich history of multicultural diversity. Significant immigrant populations from China, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain and Vietnam have greatly enhanced our local heritage. Enticed by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding mountains and valleys, many international visitors have chosen to make Monterey their home.

CSUMB is located in the cities of Seaside and Marina, California, on the Monterey Peninsula.  It is located on the site of the former Fort Ord military base.  The Army base was a basic training site for over 80 years and served as a base for more than 1.5 million men and women, including Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia, and Clint Eastwood.  The base was closed in 1993 and CSU Monterey Bay was established on approximately 5% of the base’s 28,000 acres in 1994 and opened to students in 1995.  The rest of the former base is slowly being transformed and will have new housing, shopping, and recreational facilities in the next few years.  Please realize that CSUMB is still in development.  We are a small university and a lot of the old military base remains.  For history buffs, it’s a fascinating place.  You can look at Fort Ord Remembered for more info.  It looks like the historical Army base it is, with the exception of several brand new university buildings.  We are surrounded by open spaces that are great for biking, running, etc. There is a shopping center (with a Target, Best Buy, REI, Kohl’s, Michael’s, and more) within walking distance of the university. A movie theater and shopping center expansion will go under construction within the next year or two but until they are complete, the local movie theaters are only reachable by bus.

The majority of CSUMB students live on campus.  The campus offers residence halls (dorms) and single-student apartments and suites, as well as family apartment-style living on the east side of campus.  NSE students must live on campus in the dorms; we recommend the North Quad buildings.  Students can walk, drive or take the campus shuttle to classes and activities. 

It takes about an hour bus ride to get into Monterey, with one change over.  If you are able to bring a car, it will take you about 10 minutes to get into town.  You can also ride a bike along the primarily flat, scenic bike path that goes from campus and through Monterey. Bikes are available to rent on campus for a day, month, or semester at a low cost.

When you can get off campus (and many of your CSUMB roommates will have cars), there is plenty to do.  San Francisco is about a two-hour trip north, Santa Cruz is only about 30-40 minutes north, Big Sur is 30-40 minutes to the south, beautiful Carmel is a mere 15 minutes south, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a hop skip and a jump (but two buses) away. 

Students generally love being at CSUMB, but we want to make sure you know what it’s like here. We are not the hot-weathered California that you see on television.  The coast is consistently mild, with an average temperature around 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit (10-20 Celsius) year-round. Warm clear days and cool nights characterize the spring and autumn months, with a bit of a rainy season between November and April. Summer tends to bring fog, especially early and late in the day. 

Dressing in layers is advised since the variations in climate are so great. Generally, light- to medium- weight clothing is appropriate, but jackets and a raincoat are a good idea in winter. Heavy boots are never needed unless you are planning a ski trip in California.