CSUSM is a growing campus with new opportunities and experiences every day. Our school started with 600 students in Fall 1990 on a six-building campus, and it has evolved into the lively campus we see today. But has CSUSM caught up with its students’ needs?
According to Fall 2025 Housing Statistics, there are currently 2,107 beds for 17,506 students on campus. There were 3,116 applications this year and 424 students on the wait list for housing. Not including the Block C apartments or other nearby housing communities, there is a severe lack of on-campus housing for CSUSM students.
Fortunately, there are two new housing communities currently being built in the CSUSM area: 222 North City and Black Oak Hall.
222 North City will have 460 residential units which include studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom apartments. Alongside amenities such as gardens, community spaces, underground parking, pools, and a gym, 222 North City will have “a variety of indoor and outdoor food and beverage retail offerings”. While not a part of the official CSUSM dormitories, it will be a resource to make up for the limited space for student housing on campus with its proximity to the school. It is set to open in January of 2026, and potential residents can inquire about living there in the 222 North City email newsletter.
Black Oak Hall, however, is the newest addition to official CSUSM dorms with space for 555 student residents. It will include Kwíila Dining, a new dining hall open to all students, staff, and faculty, plus social spaces and other amenities. It is set to open in August 2026 for the Fall semester.
Additional to housing communities, there are new mixed-use and academic projects in the works.
Those who were CSUSM students last year may remember voting for the Wellness and Recreation Center referendum. To review, students voted 64% in favor of the referendum which approved the building of a new recreation center, which is currently in its early stages of construction next to The QUAD housing community. It will add a $245 recreation fee to students’ tuition annually. This Chronicle Article breaks down what the fees entail.
The facility will offer “more than 10,000 square feet for cardio machines and strength training equipment; dedicated wellness areas; an outdoor rooftop deck with a synthetic turf field for fitness programs, intramurals and sport club workouts; two standard-sized indoor courts; multipurpose rooms for a variety of individual and group activities; and a commuter lounge and e-sports collaboration den” as well as adding 550 new beds for students.
Finally, the campus’s new Integrated Science and Engineering building had its groundbreaking over the summer. It is estimated to open in the Fall of 2027. According to CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt, it is “the first state-supported academic building at CSUSM in more than a decade”. It will house CSTEM labs, classrooms, and research areas, as well as introduce new majors regarding engineering and computer science.