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

12 Ranked Colleges
131 Degrees Awarded
$59,096 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 12,917 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 70th most popular in the United States. 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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 131 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools

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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.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree chem eng students.

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. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 23 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - San Diego

2

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 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 masters’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UCLA

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. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 USC

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. University of California - 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.

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 96%.

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

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 13 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 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Stanford

6

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

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

7

University of California - Davis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

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

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

8

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Riverside Chemical Engineering Report

9

University of California - Irvine landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s ranking. UC 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.

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 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 University of California - Irvine Chemical Engineering Report

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

With a ranking of #9, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 5 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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%.

Full San Jose State 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. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 4 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Caltech Chemical Engineering Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major in California for a Master’s list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 UCSB Chemical Engineering Report

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