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2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

23 Ranked Colleges
1,724 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 12,892 people earned their degree in general computer engineering, making the major the 61st most popular in the United States.

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” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general computer engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general computer engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general computer engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The general computer engineering 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 “Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s 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.

Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Computer Engineering in California

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 full report on General Computer Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 96%.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at UCLA

#3

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #3 spot on the list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at San Jose State

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full CSULB General Computer Engineering Report

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at Fresno State

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #6. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at CSUN

#5 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 124 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general computer engineering students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at UCSD

#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 ranking, coming in at #8. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 105 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students 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 $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students list, SDSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full SDSU General Computer Engineering Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general computer engineering students 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. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at California State University - Chico

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 233 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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 yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at UC Irvine

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 General Computer Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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 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 University of California - Davis is $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at UC Davis

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 42 bachelors’s general computer engineering 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 $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

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 California State University - Sacramento

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students.

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 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%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at Cal State Fullerton

#16

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#12 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at University of California - Riverside

#17

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at SFSU

#18

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

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 $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at University of California - Santa Cruz

#20 in overall quality

University of California - Merced came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to 134 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students list, UC Merced has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students.

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.

Full UC Merced General Computer Engineering Report

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students list, CSUB has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students.

Read more about General Computer Engineering at California State University - Bakersfield

#21

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#14 in overall quality

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #21. Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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 University of the Pacific is $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at Pacific

#22

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#4 in overall quality

Santa Clara University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s general computer engineering degrees to qualified students.

SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $38,327 for california bachelor’s degree general computer engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Computer Engineering at SCU

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Computer Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Computer Engineering students per year to attend University of Southern California.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern California General Computer Engineering Report

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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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