2023 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California
23
Ranked Colleges
3,198
Degrees Awarded
$29,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 21,388 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 50th most popular in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in civil engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great civil engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the civil engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” 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. 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.
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Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 95 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
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%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Civil Engineering Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #2 spot on the list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 268 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $14,304 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 171 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,054 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k 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 undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at CSULB
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California Polytechnic State University - 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.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $20,677 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Civil Engineering Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $6,230 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Civil Engineering at California State University - Fresno
California State University - Sacramento came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 179 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $11,178 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $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%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Sac State
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #7. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $13,845 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Civil Engineering at SDSU
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 161 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 - Fullerton Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $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 160 students in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,023 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at UCLA
With a ranking of #10, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 192 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Davis landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 243 students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Full University of California - Davis Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #12, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,542 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at San Jose State
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $8,523 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
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 CSUN Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 294 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $16,032 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley
University of California - Irvine came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 142 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Irvine
California State University - Chico landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 78 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,218 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Full California State University - Chico Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #17, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 70 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,459 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SFSU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at SFSU
Stanford University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 176 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $12,894 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad 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%. 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 Civil Engineering at Stanford University
California Baptist University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 41 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist also took the #21 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $26,719 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
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 Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $32,569 for california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full USC Civil Engineering Report
Loyola Marymount University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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.
Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $44,467 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.
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. 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%.
Full Loyola Marymount Civil Engineering Report
University of the Pacific landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
Pacific also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $28,380 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of the Pacific
Santa Clara University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make more than $110k list, SCU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $42,614 for California Civil Eng students whose families make more than $110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 93%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at SCU
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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.
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