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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

14 Ranked Colleges
884 Degrees Awarded
$10,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 13,314 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 53rd most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,177 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 884 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Stanford University

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 112 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 96%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley

#3

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $3,756 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UCLA

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of California - Irvine Chemical Engineering Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 91 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at CSULB

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Chemical Engineering Report

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 111 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Chemical Engineering at University of California - Davis

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 Chemical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

#8 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 105 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 Chemical Engineering at University of California - San Diego

#11

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Southern California.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Southern California

#10 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 79 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 Chemical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State University.

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 full report on Chemical Engineering at San Jose State

#14

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,716 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

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 Chemical Engineering at California Baptist University

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.

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