Higher Education & Marine Science

The region is known for strong programs in higher education and research, with unique combinations of talent and language, and a broad spectrum of curriculum. The area boasts eleven institutions of higher learning, five wildlife and/or marine-related reserves, and seven government agencies, each one contributing to an extensive research environment. In addition, six language programs ranging from community college to the graduate level are available in the region, as are several graduate business programs, a law school, and a public policy institute.

Higher Education & Research By the Numbers

• Total Enrollment Full and Part-Time: approximately 79,000
• Total Faculty and Staff Employed: approximately 14,000
• Total Operating Budgets: $1.7 billion
• Total Research and Grant Dollars: approximately $410 million annually
• Total Jobs Created Locally*: ~66,000 (* Using an AAU impact analysis)

Post-Secondary

• UC Santa Cruz (4 Yr)
• CSU Monterey Bay (4 Yr)
• Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
• Hartnell College (Less than 4 Yr)
• Monterey Peninsula College (Less than 4 Yr)
• Brandman University, Chapman University System
• Cabrillo College
• Monterey College of Law
• Gavilan College

Labs

• USDA Agricultural Research Station
• Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
• NOAA National Marine Sanctuary
• Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University
• Naval Research Laboratory Marine Meteorology Division

Institutes

• The Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy 
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
• Panetta Institute for Public Policy
• Monterey Bay Education, Science and Technology Center
• UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute

Big Data Research: Sensors, the internet of things and mass data collection by businesses, governments and research institutions require powerful equipment for data analysis and industry experts to analyze data to create actionable recommendations.

The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership supports collaborative discussions among regional leaders in the fields of higher education, big data, GIS mapping, and analysis for policy and programs. These experts have come together to form a thought leadership group for global excellence in data analysis for policy and program creation: the Monterey Bay Analytics and Research Consortium (MBARC).

MBARC consists of data and analysis experts with deep industry expertise from the following institutions support national and international governments and companies:

• CSUMB
• NPS
• MIIS METALab
• UCSC
• DMDC

Marine Science: Overview

The Monterey Bay Region leads the nation in marine science, with 24 research organizations, over 2,100 research professionals and staff, and annual budgets exceeding $300M.  Research includes sea floor mapping, autonomous underwater vehicles, chemical sensors, coastal ocean processes, biogeochemistry, climate and weather research.

The UCSC Genomics Institute is one of the leading computational genomics research groups in the U.S.  Researchers at the UCSC Genomics Institute are taking advantage of the dramatic decline in the cost of genome sequencing and huge gains in computing, storage, bandwidth and open systems to develop more precise cancer treatments, identify causes of congenital abnormalities, and control autoimmune disease.  The Institute’s genomics browser is the leading tool used worldwide to analyze genomics data.  Recent companies to spin out from the Institute include Five3Genomics.

The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) provides a research center named The Center for the Blue Economy to promote ocean and coastal sustainability. Please check out their page here to learn more.

Higher Education & Marine Science Data Tracker

• Educational Attainment
• UC Santa Cruz
• CSU Monterey Bay
• Monterey Peninsula College
• Hartnell College
• Cabrillo College
• Marine Science Institutions

Several organizations have provided numerous reports and presentations about higher education in the Monterey Bay Region.

• Monterey County Economic Report – Competitive Clusters Status Report 2010-2011
• Monterey County Business Council – Higher Education Economic Impact
• FORA.org Public Higher Education and the Monterey Bay Economy
• Economic Impact of Marine Science Research – UC Santa Cruz

The College Scorecard website, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, offers data and factors about higher education in the United States that is important to prospective students.

College Scorecard provides information on:

• Average annual cost
• Graduate rate
• Salary after attending
• Students receiving federal loans
• Typical total debt
• Graduation rate
• Student body  diversity
• SAT/ACT scores
• Academic Programs

Community Colleges – Student Headcount

The California Colleges Chancellor’s Office Data Mart page provides additional data on the states community colleges, including a deeper dive into:

• Students/Headcounts
• Enrollment Status
• Education Status
• Full-time Equivalent Student Counts
• Financial Aid
• Enrollment Retention and Success rate
• Grade Distribution
• Program Awards
• Faculty & Staff demographics
• Student Transfers