The nickname was inspired by the coyotes that inhabit the area around the campus, which lies in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains.

The men's soccer team went to the NCAA Division II national semi-finals, capturing the university's first California Collegiate Athletic Association title.

Later, the California State College system's board of trustees chose a 440-acre (180 ha) site in the city of San Bernardino.

Other distinctive university landmarks include: the clock tower above the Santos Manuel Student Union, the Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum, and the James & Aerianthi Coussoulis Arena, a modern, 4,000-plus seat sports and events venue—one of the largest indoor arenas in the Inland Empire.

In 2009, the university received a major donation from the Pauline Murillo family to construct a $2 million research observatory on the campus.

A world-class collection of about 200 Egyptian artifacts and a smaller selection of Italian pottery are part of the museum's permanent holdings.

[16] A health sciences building for the four-year nursing program opened on the Palm Desert Campus in October 2008.

For graduates, popular majors included Business Administration, Management and Operations at 17.47%, Social Work at 14.21%, and Education (General) at 10.82%.

[28] The five most popular majors for 2019 graduates were: Cal State San Bernardino has taken a role in furthering the study and understanding Middle Eastern Cultures, and is the only CSU campus offering Arabic language and Islamic history courses.

[29] CSUSB also offers a burgeoning program in Egyptology, with a Certificate in Egyptology offered through the Department of History and the opportunity to learn about Ancient Egypt at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art RAFFMA that houses one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian objects on the West Coast.

[33] In addition, CSUSB's advanced accounting students provide free tax preparation services to local low-income, elderly, disabled, non-English-speaking residents.

[38] Admission to CSUSB is based on a combination of the applicant's high school cumulative grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores.

Due to the large number of applicants in the fall 2010 quarter, CSUSB declared "campus impaction" for the first time in its history.

[44] Initiated in 2002 by university president, Albert K. Karnig, the President's Academic Excellence Scholarship program invites the top 1 percent of graduating high school seniors in San Bernardino County to attend Cal State San Bernardino.

The program provides a full scholarship, including tuition, books and a small stipend, to eligible students and is renewable for up to four academic years.

[45] The first major donor to this program was Evelyn Magnuson, who extended her legacy in 2008 through a planned gift, making CSUSB a beneficiary of her $2.4 million estate.

CEO Magazine ranked Cal State San Bernardino Tier One Top Global MBA Program and Best Value Schools ranked 1 Cal State San Bernardino on Best Online Criminal Justice Degree Program.

[30] Like many other universities, much of the student life on campus revolves around extensive local outreach and retention programs.

As of fall 2018 CSU San Bernardino has the largest enrollment percentage of Mexican Americans in the California State University system.

The Coussoulis Arena is a popular site for concerts, entertainment activities, commencement ceremonies and also serves kinesiology students.

[66] With the support of alumni and University advisors, CSUSB has seen the establishment of 15 social fraternity and sorority chapters managed by Student Leadership and Development.

The Coyotes play in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in the NCAA's Division II.

In 1997, Scott Householder grabbed the university's sole national championship to date with a 273 for 72 holes, a record that still stands.

The men's basketball team has won three West Region titles, eight CCAA championships, and has made one appearance in the NCAA Division II national semi-finals.

[68][69] Besides both being located in the east of California, but one in the south and the other in the north, San Bernardino and Stanisaus have competed heavily as conference rivals.

[70] Among the notable alumni of CSUSB have become prominent businessmen, engineers, athletes, actors, politicians, and those that have gained both national and international fame.

CSUSB alumni have served in the White House, California Legislature, and United States Congress.