2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in California
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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” ranking - to help you make that 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” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in California
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chem eng students list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.
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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 74 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students per year to attend UCLA.
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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 50 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.
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%.
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 54 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students per year to attend UCSB.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
University of California - Davis landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
With a ranking of #8, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 105 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
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 estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Full University of California - San Diego Chemical Engineering Report
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chem eng students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students per year to attend UC Irvine.
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%. 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 - Irvine
University of California - Riverside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 69 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
UCR also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
California Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. California Baptist University 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. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $24,707 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students.
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%.
Stanford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students per year to attend Stanford.
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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.
California Institute of Technology came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s 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 $24,274 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students per year to attend Caltech.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 ranking of #14, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students.
The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 more about Chemical Engineering at University of Southern California
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering in California
Agricultural Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering in California
Biomedical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering in California
Computer Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering in California
Engineering Physics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics in California
Environmental Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering in California
Mechanical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California
Construction Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering in California
Manufacturing Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering in California
Geoscience Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering in California
Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering. in California
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in California
Architectural Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering in California
Civil Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering in California
Electrical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering in California
Engineering Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science in California
Materials Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering in California
Nuclear Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering in California
Industrial Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering in California
Operations Research
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Operations Research in California
Biological Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering in California
Other Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering in California
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Chemical Engineering students in the state of California
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in California
Chemical Engineering students in California
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Chemical Engineering Schools
Chemical Engineering students in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
Chemical Engineering students with family income less than $30k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Chemical Engineering students with family income $48-$75k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California
Chemical Engineering students with family income exceeding $110k in California
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Chemical Engineering Graduates in California
Chemical Engineering students in California
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in California
Chemical Engineering students in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in California (With Aid)
Chemical Engineering students getting aid in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California
Chemical Engineering students with family income $30-$48k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in California
Chemical Engineering students with family income $75-$110k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in California
Chemical Engineering students in California
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.
Featured Engineering Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
