2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k
23
Ranked Colleges
3,198
Degrees Awarded
$21,200
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Civil Engineering is the 50th most popular major in the country with 21,388 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 3,198 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $68,987 and $19,554 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in civil engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent civil engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the civil engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Civil 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 Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 176 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $13,623 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Stanford
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 243 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $18,728 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $20,697 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Civil Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also took the #20 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,011 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Civil Engineering at Cal State LA
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 294 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,601 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 192 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $20,906 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at UCSD
California State University - Long Beach landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 171 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #15 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $15,101 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at CSULB
California State University - Fresno landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Fresno State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $12,789 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fresno Civil Engineering Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 161 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $12,977 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 89%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Cal State Fullerton
University of California - Irvine ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 142 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,567 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full University of California - Irvine Civil Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 268 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $18,166 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Civil Engineering Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $22,744 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Civil Engineering Report
California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 179 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,925 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Full Sac State Civil Engineering Report
San Diego State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 162 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $18,957 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full San Diego State University Civil Engineering Report
San Jose State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 169 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $21,035 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Jose State
California State University - Northridge ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 117 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also took the #19 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $15,380 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Northridge Civil Engineering Report
University of Southern California ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 84 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $32,363 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend USC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Full University of Southern California Civil Engineering Report
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Chico State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $20,708 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Chico State Civil Engineering Report
San Francisco State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $20,159 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Full SFSU Civil Engineering Report
Santa Clara University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 24 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
SCU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Clara University is $34,770 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University
California Baptist University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,614 for california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California Baptist University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California Baptist University Civil Engineering Report
University of the Pacific ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 18 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,823 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Pacific.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of the Pacific
Loyola Marymount University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 36 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Loyola Marymount has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $40,066 for California Civil 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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 Civil Engineering at Loyola Marymount
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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
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