2024 Best Value CE Schools in California
23
Ranked Colleges
3,389
Degrees Awarded
$15,600
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value CE Schools in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Computer Engineering is the 56th most popular major in the country with 17,987 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, computer engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $73,143 and had an average of $24,685 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 3,389 computer engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $78,872 and $20,954 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value CE Schools in California” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in computer engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 computer engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Computer Engineering Schools
The ce 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 CE Schools 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value CE Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for california ce students.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Computer Engineering in California
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 95 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for California CE students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
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 #2 for the Best Value CE Schools in California. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 158 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california ce students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #3 spot on the list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 892 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,542 for California CE students per year to attend San Jose State University.
The low undergrad 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at San Jose State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 225 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also took the #4 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,240 for California CE students per year to attend UCSD.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - San Diego Computer Engineering Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 330 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $12,209 for California CE 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at UC Irvine
University of California - Davis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 ’s ce degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $15,768 for california ce students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at UC Davis
San Diego State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 ’s ce degrees to qualified students.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $13,845 for california ce students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ce degrees to 99 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,304 for California CE students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
California State University - Northridge came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 60 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for California CE students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at California State University - Northridge
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 106 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #9 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,930 for California CE students per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The undergrad 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Computer Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
California State University - Long Beach landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 66 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for California CE students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full CSULB Computer Engineering Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 76 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,178 for california ce students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at Sac State
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s ce degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for california ce students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 more about Computer Engineering at UCSB
University of California - Merced landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 211 degrees to qualified ’s ce students in 2020-2021.
UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $13,691 for California CE students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Merced Computer Engineering Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 138 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,003 for california ce students per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 full report on Computer Engineering at California State University - Fullerton
With a ranking of #16, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California list. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ce students list, UCR has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,822 for california ce students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Riverside
San Francisco State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 41 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ce students list, SFSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $14,459 for california ce students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at SFSU
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California ranking, coming in at #18. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s ce degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california ce students list, Fresno State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for california ce students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 - Fresno Computer Engineering Report
Santa Clara University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 251 ’s ce degrees to qualified students.
SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $42,614 for California CE students.
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%. 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 Santa Clara University
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s ce students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,107 for California CE students per year to attend CSUSB.
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 full report on Computer Engineering at CSUSB
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2024 Best Value CE Schools in California ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 11 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUB also took the #23 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $7,454 for california ce students.
Read more about Computer Engineering at CSUB
California Baptist University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California list. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 15 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,719 for California CE students per year to attend Cal Baptist.
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%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at Cal Baptist
University of Southern California came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 107 ’s ce degrees in 2020-2021.
USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $32,569 for California CE students per year to attend University of Southern California.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Computer Engineering at University of Southern California
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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
- *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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