2023 Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
28
Ranked Colleges
4,697
Degrees Awarded
$9,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 28,844 people earned their degree in electrical engineering, making the major the 39th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, electrical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $74,380 and had an average of $24,114 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 4,697 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $83,119 and $20,327 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in electrical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality electrical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the electrical 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.
More Ways to Rank Electrical Engineering Schools
The ee 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 EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 259 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,233 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. 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 Electrical Engineering at Stanford
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 730 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Berkeley Electrical Engineering Report
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 367 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Electrical Engineering at UCLA
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 410 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Full UCSD Electrical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 630 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low undergrad 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at USC
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 149 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,540 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC 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 undergrad 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 more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Irvine
California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 165 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full CSULB Electrical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 69 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Davis
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 152 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.
UCSB also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,568 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UCSB
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 161 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,173 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 165 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #14 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Cal Poly Pomona Electrical Engineering Report
San Diego State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 145 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $7,169 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Electrical Engineering at SDSU
California State University - Fullerton ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 73 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,590 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
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 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%.
Full Cal State Fullerton Electrical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #15, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 129 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Sacramento ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.
Sac State also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Electrical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Northridge ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 98 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,266 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSUN
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,859 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Fresno State Electrical Engineering Report
San Jose State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 286 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $12,158 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Full San Jose State Electrical Engineering Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,038 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Santa Cruz
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $11,754 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at California State University - Chico
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,238 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Electrical Engineering Report
Sonoma State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sonoma State University is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, SSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,803 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sonoma State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at Sonoma State University
San Francisco State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $10,705 for california ee students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 San Francisco State University Electrical Engineering Report
Santa Clara University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $26,428 for California EE students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Santa Clara University Electrical Engineering Report
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