CSUSM Wins National Diversity Award for 12th Straight Year

Cal State San Marcos has received the 2025 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia magazine.

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award - a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging and community-building across all levels of campus life - CSUSM will be featured along with 61 other recipients in the October issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.

This marks the 12th consecutive year that CSUSM has received the HEED Award, placing the university among those with the longest-running streaks of recognition nationwide.

"I am deeply honored that Cal State San Marcos has received the HEED Award for the 12th consecutive year," CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. "This recognition affirms our steadfast commitment to inclusive excellence - where access to a high-quality education and opportunity for talented students from all backgrounds are central to our mission."

CSUSM is one of just four CSU schools to win the HEED Award this year.

"CSUSM is proud to be recognized as a leader in inclusive higher education," said Aswad Allen, CSUSM's chief diversity officer. "I want to congratulate our faculty, front-line staff, our deans, directors and department heads. Their dedication is what makes this award of excellence and distinction possible."

For more information about the 2025 HEED Award, visit insightintoacademia.com. For more information about diversity and inclusion at CSUSM, visit the Office of Inclusive Excellence at https://www.csusm.edu/equity or email [email protected].