<p>Cal State Monterey Bay provides over 7,500 students an extraordinary opportunity to learn on a residential campus just one mile from the shores of the beautiful Monterey Bay. Our diverse student body receives personal attention in small classes while pursuing degrees in 25 undergraduate and seven graduate majors.&nbsp;Founded in 1994 on the former site of Fort Ord by educators and community leaders, Cal State Monterey Bay faculty and staff build on that legacy as we explore innovative ways to meet the needs of a new generation of students while simultaneously powering the Monterey County economy.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>While we serve students from the entire state of California, 38 percent of our undergraduates come from Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. We pride ourselves on making higher education accessible to traditionally underserved and low-income populations. Seventy-two percent of our students receive some form of financial aid. Fifty-three percent of our students are among the first generation of their family to go to college. And with 52 percent of our students living on campus, we are one of the most residential universities in the CSU.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Why California State University Monterey Bay</strong></p><ul><li><u>Campus life:</u>&nbsp;Students are drawn here by our outstanding academic programs, many of which are closely tied to regional needs and the unique geography of the Central Coast. Our campus is adjacent to one of the world’s most productive agriculture regions and some of its most attractive tourist destinations. The Pacific Ocean at our back door provides abundant recreational opportunities, as well as a site for innovative research that reflects our campus’s focus on environmental stewardship and sustainability.&nbsp;The campus has also established an unmatched record in service learning and community outreach.</li><li><u>Enhanced teaching environment:</u>&nbsp;Cal State Monterey Bay is a two-time winner of the President’s Award for Higher Education Community Service, and has been named to the Community Service Honor Roll in the years it has not received the top honor. That makes us the most decorated university for service learning in the nation.</li></ul><p><br></p>