Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Civil Engineering

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

22 Ranked Colleges
2,032 Degrees Awarded
$11,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Civil Engineering is the 36th most popular major in the country with 20,913 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 2,969 general civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,032 general civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general civil engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general civil 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.

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 General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Stanford

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 81 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Civil Engineering Report

#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Cal State LA

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Fresno State

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 93 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine General Civil Engineering Report

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 113 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 89%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at California State University - Fullerton

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#12 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 191 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 full report on General Civil Engineering at San Diego State University

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo General Civil Engineering Report

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to 127 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 89%.

Full CSULB General Civil Engineering Report

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 146 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at University of California - Davis

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at CSUN

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 174 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Civil Engineering Report

#11 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 235 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#15

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Southern California.

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. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of Southern California

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#10 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 138 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full San Jose State University General Civil Engineering Report

#17

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

SFSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $11,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico General Civil Engineering Report

#19

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#6 in overall quality

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $18,949 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SCU General Civil Engineering Report

#20

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#13 in overall quality

University of the Pacific ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of the Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stockton, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $23,385 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of the Pacific General Civil Engineering Report

#21

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $21,716 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Civil Engineering at Cal Baptist

#22

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Loyola Marymount University is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $35,166 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Loyola Marymount

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Engineering Schools

Find Schools Near You