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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in California

14 Ranked Colleges
903 Degrees Awarded
$19,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 13,610 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, chemical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $62,963 and had an average of $22,564 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,196 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $54,945 and $17,612 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 903 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 $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in chemical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great chemical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the chemical 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 Chemical Engineering Schools

The chem eng 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 Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,631 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford University.

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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low 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%.

Full Stanford Chemical Engineering Report

#2

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 $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,788 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Caltech

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,401 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 91 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $14,544 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Long Beach Chemical Engineering Report

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 130 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,622 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Davis.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Davis

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $19,590 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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 Chemical Engineering at UCLA

University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 69 students 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 $18,395 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCR.

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%. 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 University of California - Riverside Chemical Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 79 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed 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 $17,944 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 54 students 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 University of California - Santa Barbara is $22,226 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

University of California - Irvine landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $19,851 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Chemical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #11, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 105 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,205 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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%.

Full University of California - San Diego Chemical Engineering Report

#12

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,805 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at San Jose State

#13

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, USC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $30,858 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full University of Southern California Chemical Engineering Report

#14

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

California Baptist University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $26,285 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

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 Chemical 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.

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