by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 46,178 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 5,137 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $73,918 and $19,735 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their mechanical engineering program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The me school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California”.
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University Maritime Academy landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Vallejo, California, and it awarded 19 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Merced. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 171 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 321 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #5 spot on the list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 253 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 247 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 379 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of California - San Diego Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Irvine ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 359 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 229 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #10, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 71 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 173 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 243 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 274 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 320 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Loyola Marymount University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Loyola Marymount University Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 234 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 209 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 144 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of San Diego
California State University - Fullerton came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 211 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Long Beach landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 194 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach
California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California Baptist University Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #23, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 252 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
California State University - Chico came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 72 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Chico
Naval Postgraduate School landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Naval Postgraduate School is a small school located in Monterey, California that handed out 34 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Naval Postgraduate School
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