About Cal State Monterey Bay Founded in 1994, we’re one of the youngest universities in the CSU system—but our location has more than a century of history. California State University, Monterey Bay is a public university located in Monterey County, California. The main campus is situated on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, spanning the cities of Seaside and Marina, approximately one mile inland from Monterey Bay along the Central Coast of California.