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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

24 Ranked Colleges
2,009 Degrees Awarded
$70,506 Avg Salary
Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Computer Engineering is the 60th most popular major in the country with 16,932 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, computer engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $68,762 and had an average of $25,829 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,399 computer engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $73,265 and $23,234 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,009 computer engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in computer engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality computer engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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.

More Ways to Rank 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 CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s CE degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 288 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Irvine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 124 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #5 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Computer Engineering at University of California - San Diego

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s CE degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Davis

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #5 spot on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 158 bachelors’s CE degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Computer Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 24 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Computer Engineering Report

University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s CE degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#8

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Engineering at Cal State Fullerton

California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Engineering at CSULB

California State University - Northridge came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Computer Engineering at California State University - Northridge

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 81 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Computer Engineering at San Diego State University

California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s CE degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Engineering at Sac State

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 276 degrees to qualified bachelors’s CE students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Computer Engineering Report

#15

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s CE degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #11 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Computer Engineering at UC Santa Cruz

#16

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 42 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,050 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Computer Engineering at University of Southern California

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 105 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s CE students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Computer Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $7,564 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Computer Engineering at California State University - Bakersfield

University of California - Merced landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 134 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $14,922 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

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

Full University of California - Merced Computer Engineering Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s CE degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Computer Engineering Report

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s CE students in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree ce students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on Computer Engineering at San Francisco State University

#22

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 77 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $24,848 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full SCU Computer Engineering Report

#23

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California

With a ranking of #23, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific also took the #14 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Pacific is $26,047 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pacific Computer Engineering Report

#24

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value CE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s CE degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Computer Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $23,255 for California Bachelor’s Degree CE students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Computer Engineering at Cal Baptist

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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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