First-year deadlines
| Plan | Entry term | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Priority deadline Apply by this date for the best chance at aid or a place; later applications may still be read. | Spring | August 31, 2026 |
| Priority deadline | Fall | November 30, 2026 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | Spring | December 1, 2026 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: csumb.edu · checked October 1, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, in-state students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | California State University-Monterey Bay course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | 3 3 2; MATH 130 | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 6 3 2; MATH 130 | |
| Biology | 3 | 6 4 5B+5C | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 6 4 5A+5C | |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 4 5A+5C; PHYS 220 | |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 6 3 1A | |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 6 6 1A+3B | |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 3 4A; PSY 100 |
Show all 47 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | 3 3 2; MATH 130 | |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 3 3 2; MATH 150 | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 6 3 2; MATH 130 | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 6 3 2; MATH 150+MATH 151 | |
| Biology | 3 | 6 4 5B+5C | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 6 4 5A+5C | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 6 6 5A+5C F09 | |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 4 5A+5C; PHYS 220 | |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 6 3 1A | |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 6 6 1A+3B | |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 3 4A; PSY 100 | |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 3 2; STAT 100 (Effective 8/1/2023) | |
| Statistics | 4 | 3 3 STAT 100 | |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 0 CST 231 | |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 3 4A; BUS 201 | |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 3 4A; BUS 202 | |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 3 3B or 4A; GS 215 | |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 6 3 3B or 4A; GS 214 | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 4 5A+5C | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 4 5A+5C or 5B+5C F09 | |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 4 4 5A+5C; PHYS 221 | |
| European History | 3 | 6 3 3B or 4A | |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 3 4A | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; SPAN 102 | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 6 6 3B; SPAN 102 S14 | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; SPAN 202 | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 6 6 3B; SPAN 202 S14 | |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 6 3 | 2 credits |
| Art History | 3 | 6 3 3A or 3B; VPA 205 | |
| Music Theory | 3 | 6 3 3A; MPA 101 F09 | |
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 0 | |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 0 | |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 0 | |
| Business with Personal Finance | 3 | 3 0 | |
| Calculus BC/AB Subscore | 3 | 3 3 | 2 credits |
| Calculus BC/AB Subscore | 4 | 3 3 2; MATH 150 | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; CHIN 102 | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; LANG 202 | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 3 4B+US2 | |
| Computer Science AB | 3 | 6 0 CST 231 | |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 0 VPA 215 | |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 0 VPA 215 | |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; LANG 102 | |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; LANG 102 F11 | |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 6 6 3B; LANG 102 F09 | |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; LANG 202 | |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; LANG 202 F11 | |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 6 6 3B; LANG 202 F09 | |
| French Literature | 3 | 6 3 3B F09 | |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; LANG 102 | |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; LANG 102 F11 | |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 6 6 3B; LANG 102 F09 | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; LANG 202 | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; LANG 202 F11 | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 6 6 3B; LANG 202 F09 | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; ITAL 102 | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; ITAL 202 | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; JAPN 102 | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; JAPN 202 | |
| Latin | 3 | 3 3 3B F12 | |
| Latin | 3 | 6 3 3B F09 | |
| Latin | 3 | 6 3 3B; LANG 102 | |
| Latin | 4 | 6 3 3B; LANG 202 | |
| Physics B | 3 | 6 4 5A+5C F15 | |
| Physics B | 3 | 6 6 5A+5C F09 | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 4 4 5A+5C; PHYS 221 | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 4 5A+5C; PHYS 220 | |
| Precalculus | 3 | 3 3 | 2 credits |
| Precalculus | 4 | 3 3 2; MATH 130 | |
| Research Effective Fall 2026 | 3 | 3 0 | |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 0 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 6 3 3B; SPAN 102 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 6 6 3B; SPAN 102 S13 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 6 3 3B; SPAN 202 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 6 6 3B; SPAN 202 S13 | |
| Studio Art- 2D Design | 3 | 3 0 | |
| Studio Art- 3D Design | 3 | 3 0 | |
| U.S. Government and Politics | 3 | 3 3 4B+US2 | |
| U.S. History | 3 | 6 3 3B or 4A +US1 |
Source: csumb.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Psychology | 250 |
| Business Administration and Management | 203 |
| Computer Science | 199 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 145 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 131 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies | 107 |
| Marine Sciences | 99 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 93 |
Show the other 18 majors
| Social Sciences | 83 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | 71 |
| Human Services | 71 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 52 |
| Environmental Studies | 43 |
| Design and Visual Communications | 41 |
| Radio and Television | 32 |
| Agronomy and Crop Science | 32 |
| Environmental Science | 26 |
| Mathematics | 18 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 16 |
| Art/Art Studies | 13 |
| Japanese Language and Literature | 12 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 12 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 12 |
| Music | 7 |
| Statistics | 6 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 3 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division II, California Collegiate Athletic Association
Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division II, California Collegiate Athletic Association
Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball, Water Polo
ROTC
Air Force
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection, Ratio Christi
Also
Study abroad
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), chapters.ratiochristi.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
Suburb, midsize
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Salinas, CA
436,251 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
No
More about the place
Nearest airport
Monterey Regional (MRY)
Nearest hub airport
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 12.0 of 20
Elevation
241 ft
Time zone
Pacific
January low
43°F
July high
69°F
Annual snowfall
0.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
2 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$2,120 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- University of California-Santa Cruz28 mi
- San Jose State University48 mi
- Santa Clara University49 mi
- Stanford University57 mi
- California State University-East Bay71 mi
- California State University-Stanislaus80 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
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