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2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

22 Ranked Colleges
2,032 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in general civil engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general civil 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 general civil engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Stanford

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

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 General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 87 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full UCLA General Civil Engineering Report

#4 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 full report on General Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley

#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 $48-$75k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#17 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State General Civil Engineering Report

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Davis has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of California - Davis

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 93 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The low 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%. 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 General Civil Engineering at UC Irvine

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. 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 Cal State Fullerton

#3 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 159 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 127 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

Full CSULB General Civil Engineering Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 141 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on General Civil Engineering at CSUN

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#12 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 191 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full SDSU General Civil Engineering Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 174 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 235 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees 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. It costs about $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on General Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#10 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 138 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 $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

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%. 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 General Civil Engineering Report

#16

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 12 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 $48-$75k list, USC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $20,050 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at USC

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Chico 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.

Full SFSU General Civil Engineering Report

#19

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#13 in overall quality

University of the Pacific ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pacific, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,047 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of the Pacific.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Pacific

#20

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $24,848 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Santa Clara University General Civil Engineering Report

#21

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#22 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 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 $48-$75k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $23,255 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k 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 more about General Civil Engineering at California Baptist University

#22

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $34,284 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 General Civil Engineering at Loyola Marymount University

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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.

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