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2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

23 Ranked Colleges
2,147 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 21,561 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 45th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $60,122 and had an average of $23,807 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,291 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,300 and $21,468 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,147 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality civil engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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

The civil eng school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering in California (With Aid)

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal State LA 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 Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid.

The low 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 81 degrees to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 87%.

Full Fresno State Civil Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton Civil Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UC Irvine

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 141 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at CSUN

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UCLA

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 127 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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

Read more about Civil Engineering at CSULB

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 191 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Civil Engineering at San Diego State University

#9

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Stanford University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Stanford University Civil Engineering Report

California State University - Sacramento came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 174 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Civil Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 235 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #12 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Civil Engineering Report

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 146 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid.

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%. 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 University of California - Davis Civil Engineering Report

University of California - San Diego ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 102 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UCSD

#14

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 81 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

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

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 138 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about Civil Engineering at San Jose State

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 159 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #3 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Civil Engineering Report

#17

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University

California State University - Chico landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 57 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

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 Chico State Civil Engineering Report

#19

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California

University of the Pacific came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $28,929 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid per year to attend University of the Pacific.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of the Pacific

#20

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $24,707 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Cal Baptist

#21

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid.

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%. The impressive 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Civil Engineering at USC

#22

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $38,327 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students with aid.

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%. 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

#23

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students with aid.

The low 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%. 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 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

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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