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2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

23 Ranked Colleges
1,724 Degrees Awarded
$10,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Computer Engineering is the 61st most popular major in the country with 12,892 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 2,461 general computer engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,724 general computer engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general computer engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general computer engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general computer engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Computer Engineering Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Computer Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Computer Engineering Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 233 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at UC Irvine

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 24 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at Fresno State

#4

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #4 spot on the list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 full report on General Computer Engineering at SDSU

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 124 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at University of California - San Diego

#3 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo General Computer Engineering Report

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 49 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at University of California - Riverside

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on General Computer Engineering at UC Davis

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 45 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general computer engineering students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton General Computer Engineering Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at UCSB

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general computer engineering students in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 California State University - Northridge General Computer Engineering Report

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at Sac State

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#9 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Jose State University General Computer Engineering Report

#13 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

#16

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Santa Cruz General Computer Engineering Report

#17

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at USC

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

CSUB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at CSUB

#20 in overall quality

University of California - Merced landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 134 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $10,782 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at University of California - Merced

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on General Computer Engineering at Chico State

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFSU General Computer Engineering Report

#22

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#4 in overall quality

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,356 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SCU.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 Santa Clara University General Computer Engineering Report

#23

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of the Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $21,972 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at Pacific

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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