Within the last decade, California State University, Monterey Bay has witnessed exponential growth in its student population. At an average of 234 new and incoming students per year, the population has quickly increased from 4,686 students in 2009 to 7,975 for the Fall 2018 semester.
Despite the consistency, 2014 experienced a dramatic inflation that contributed an additional 899 students to the population, leaving many without housing due to the insufficient amount of space provided on campus. As a result, CSUMB constructed the Promontory Apartments on campus in 2015 as an option for upperclassmen seeking more refined on-campus housing.
Another consistency that the campus has seen throughout the years is the ratio of women to men admitted with a steady average of approximately 62.2 percent women and 37.8 percent men. The most popular age range among students has remained 18-24, though this year has seen the highest number of students aged 30 and older enrolled at a growing 11 percent.
As the eleventh most diverse university in the nation and fourth in the state, according to csumb.edu, CSUMB takes pride in its culturally expanding community. While nearly half of the population in 2009 comprised of white students, it has since decreased to 29.3 percent, while the number of Latino/Hispanic students has grown from 26 percent to 40.4 percent.
The number of Native American and Pacific Islander students at CSUMB have remained at a stagnant 1 percent, though Asian Americans now make up 7.8 percent of the populace, in addition to 4.8 percent African American students and 16 percent of those whose ethnicity was not listed or wishes to remain undisclosed.