Cal State Dominguez Hills vs Cal State Monterey Bay: Softball Program Comparison

Two D2 programs in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay graduates 16 points more of its students.

Which one is right for you?

Neither school is better in the abstract — they are better for different athletes. These are the differences big enough to actually decide on.

Lean Cal State Dominguez Hills if…

  • You would be in-state: Cal State Dominguez Hills is $373 cheaper per year on published in-state tuition than Cal State Monterey Bay.

Lean Cal State Monterey Bay if…

  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Cal State Monterey Bay graduates 16 percentage points more of its students than Cal State Dominguez Hills.
  • You need an evaluation this summer: we track 3 camps at Cal State Monterey Bay against none listed at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

What it costs to go there

Published sticker price from IPEDS. Almost nobody pays it — athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off the top — but the gap between two schools is a fair read on the gap between two offers.

What it costs to go there: Cal State Dominguez Hills compared with Cal State Monterey Bay
MeasureCal State Dominguez HillsCal State Monterey Bay
In-state tuition & fees$7,064 Cal State Dominguez Hills leads on this measure: lower published in-state tuition$7,437
Out-of-state tuition & fees$18,944$19,317
Room & board$16,886$16,413
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$23,950$23,850
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$35,830$35,730

What you leave with

Federal College Scorecard figures for all students at the institution, not softball players specifically. Read them as a signal about the degree, not about the program.

What you leave with: Cal State Dominguez Hills compared with Cal State Monterey Bay
MeasureCal State Dominguez HillsCal State Monterey Bay
Graduation rate47%63% Cal State Monterey Bay leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$57,162/yr
Median debt at graduation$13,807
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.24%

Getting in, and what you'd walk into

Admissions and size. A coach can support your file, but at most schools they cannot admit you — the academic profile below is the bar you still have to clear.

Getting in, and what you'd walk into: Cal State Dominguez Hills compared with Cal State Monterey Bay
MeasureCal State Dominguez HillsCal State Monterey Bay
Admission rateLower means more selective — harder to get in, but not automatically the better fit.93%
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.15,1816,742
Where it isCarson, CASeaside, CA

The softball program itself

Division and conference set the ceiling; the postseason record and staff tell you what the program has actually done with it.

The softball program itself: Cal State Dominguez Hills compared with Cal State Monterey Bay
MeasureCal State Dominguez HillsCal State Monterey Bay
Head coachKatie GarciaEmily Montañez

How you actually get in front of them

Camps and questionnaires are the two channels a recruit controls. Where a program runs its own camp, that camp is usually the shortest path to being evaluated by the staff that would recruit you.

How you actually get in front of them: Cal State Dominguez Hills compared with Cal State Monterey Bay
MeasureCal State Dominguez HillsCal State Monterey Bay
Camps we track3 listed (3 with dates)
Recruiting questionnaireYesYes

Scholarship money, honestly

Both programs sit at NCAA Division II, so the scholarship rules are identical: 7.2 (equivalency). Full athletic rides are rare at D2. With 7.2 equivalencies spread across a roster, nearly every scholarship is partial — but athletic aid stacks with academic and need-based aid.

How D2 softball scholarships actually work →

What to do about it this week

Questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit one at any age. A program's own camp is where its staff does most of its evaluating — submit the questionnaire first so they know to look for you.

Cal State Dominguez Hills

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Cal State Monterey Bay

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

Cal State Dominguez Hills vs Cal State Monterey Bay: common questions

Is Cal State Dominguez Hills or Cal State Monterey Bay cheaper?
Published cost is effectively the same — about $35,830 a year out of state in tuition and housing at both, before any aid. Cost is unlikely to be what decides this one.
Which school graduates more of its students, Cal State Dominguez Hills or Cal State Monterey Bay?
Cal State Monterey Bay, at 63% against 47% at Cal State Dominguez Hills (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Monterey Bay offer softball scholarships?
Both play at NCAA Division II: 7.2 (equivalency). Full athletic rides are rare at D2. With 7.2 equivalencies spread across a roster, nearly every scholarship is partial — but athletic aid stacks with academic and need-based aid.
Do Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Monterey Bay run softball camps?
We track 3 camps at Cal State Monterey Bay and none currently listed at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Camp listings change through the year — check the program's own site before ruling it out.
How do I contact the coaches at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Monterey Bay?
Both programs run a recruiting questionnaire, and that is the right first move — it is exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit it at any age. Fill out both, then follow with an email to each staff.

Cost, graduation and enrollment figures from IPEDS (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2023-24). Earnings, debt and admission rates from the federal College Scorecard. Postseason results from the NCAA Division I softball tournament records, 2021-2026. Rankings from NCAA.com and U.S. News & World Report. Figures describe the institution, not the softball roster.

We work hard to keep all data for Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Monterey Bay accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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