2023 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
13
Ranked Colleges
1,120
Degrees Awarded
$10,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
Chemical Engineering is the 64th most popular major in the country with 12,690 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 1,120 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent chemical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 65 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,233 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Chemical Engineering at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 175 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 96%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 119 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UC Davis
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 130 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,823 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 Chemical Engineering at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 77 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $6,540 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UC Irvine
University of Southern California came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at USC
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 59 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UCSB Chemical Engineering Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,663 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at CSULB
University of California - Riverside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 88 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,810 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Riverside
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
San Jose State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,158 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State.
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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at San Jose State
California Baptist University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 16 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $21,769 for california chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California Baptist University Chemical 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
- *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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.
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