2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k
13
Ranked Colleges
1,136
Degrees Awarded
$20,800
Avg Net Price*
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 “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Chemical Engineering is the 70th most popular major in the country with 12,917 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, chemical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,870 and had an average of $23,285 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,136 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,086 and $17,925 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 65 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $13,623 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Stanford Chemical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 120 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $18,728 for california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Davis Chemical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 175 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $21,601 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Chemical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,697 for california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. 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 UCLA
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 130 students in 2020-2021.
UCSD also took the #6 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $20,906 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at UCSD
University of California - Irvine landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools 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 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $20,567 for california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at UC Irvine
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $15,101 for California 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 89%. 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%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Chemical Engineering Report
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCSB has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $21,581 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 91%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UCSB
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 88 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $16,887 for california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #10, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $21,035 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full San Jose State University Chemical Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - 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 $75-$110k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,166 for california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k 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 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about Chemical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $32,363 for California Chem Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 Southern California
With a ranking of #13, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist also took the #13 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $28,614 for california chem eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 Cal Baptist 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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