By Vanya Quiñones

Cal State Monterey Bay, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, plays a vital role in educating the workforce of the Monterey Bay area.

As 54% of students at Cal State Monterey Bay identify as Hispanic or Latiné, we proudly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Tuesday. Our recognition of Hispanic identity goes beyond just this month. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), Cal State Monterey Bay offers numerous opportunities throughout the year to acknowledge the culture and experiences of our diverse student body. In 2023-24, we were among the top 50 universities nationwide that graduate the most Hispanic students, according to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

HSIs are designated based on the number of students they serve from Hispanic backgrounds. We strive to serve our diverse students by ensuring we provide culturally relevant resources. At CSUMB, we opened our El Centro Latiné Student Success Center to provide a space on campus and resources for our students and we also have an Undocu-Success Center to support those who are undocumented or from mixed-status families.

As of the 2022-23 academic year, more than 600 colleges and universities in the United States have been designated as HSIs — meaning at least 25% of their enrolled undergraduate students are from Hispanic backgrounds — according to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Additionally, there are about 400 emerging HSIs, where Hispanic students make up 15% to 24.9% of the enrollment.

HSIs also educate a large number of students who are Black, Asian, mixed race or from other ethnic backgrounds. Indeed, according to HACU data, HSIs enroll more Black students than historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) — 24.4% of students enrolled in HSIs are Black. Furthermore, over 31.6% of students enrolled at HSIs were first-generation. HSIs also have a high concentration of low-income students who are eligible for Pell Grants.

By providing a wide range of services and celebrating various cultures, HSIs work to enhance the sense of belonging for everyone. A recent report from the Urban Institute supports this by showing that graduation rates improve for students of all ethnicities enrolled in HSIs. At Cal State Monterey Bay, we have successfully closed all equity and Pell-eligible gaps and have consistently improved graduation rates for all students.

In the third quarter of 2023, Hispanics comprised 19.1% of the U.S. labor force. By 2030, the number of Hispanic workers is projected to reach 35.9 million, making up 78% of the net new workers added between 2020 and 2030.

The Center for American Progress reported that “Experts predict that 6.2 million more Latiné students will need to earn a college degree over the next 10 years for the United States to regain its top international standing in college completion (and) meet workforce needs.”

Social mobility is a measurement showing how effectively we support students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in achieving success. It reflects a person’s change in social status over time, which can be assessed through income, education and other factors. By empowering students and their families with access to opportunities for social mobility, Cal State Monterey Bay and the CSU system are dismantling systemic barriers faced by students from under-resourced communities. Notably, the CSU system fosters social mobility by offering a strong return on investment, thanks to its affordable tuition in relation to graduates’ salaries.

In the recent U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list, Cal State Monterey ranked No. 1 for social mobility among regional universities in the West, up from No. 2 last year. We also ranked No. 5 among top regional public schools in the West and No. 10 among all regional schools in the West. This news comes just after Forbes released its Top Colleges list of 2025, where Cal State Monterey Bay ranked No. 11 for mid-sized public universities in the nation.

Cal State Monterey Bay is dedicated to enhancing social mobility for a significant segment of our region and developing a skilled workforce that will contribute to economic growth and well-being in Monterey County and beyond.

Vanya Quiñones is the president of Cal State Monterey Bay.