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2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in California

12 Ranked Colleges
131 Degrees Awarded
$36,500 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 12,690 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 64th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,120 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 131 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree in chemical engineering. To top this list, a school must have a successful chemical engineering program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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.

Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s”.

1

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 23 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Chemical Engineering at UCSD

2
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 18 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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. 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 University of Southern California

2

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 18 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full UCLA Chemical Engineering Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 13 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Stanford Chemical Engineering Report

6

California State University - Long Beach landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

7

University of California - Davis ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UC Davis

8

University of California - Riverside ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 7 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UCR

9

University of California - Irvine came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 UC Irvine Chemical Engineering Report

9
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 5 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Chemical Engineering Report

11

California Institute of Technology ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad 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 more about Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

12

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 2 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

Notes and References

References

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