College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

11 Ranked Colleges
339 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 2,759 people earned their degree in environmental engineering, making the major the 173rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, environmental engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $57,215 and had an average of $24,744 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 339 environmental engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,600 and $23,322 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 11 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in environmental engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality environmental engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the environmental engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Environmental Engineering Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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 Environmental Engineering at UC Davis

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for California Environmental Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at University of California - Irvine

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 28 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 Cal State Fullerton Environmental Engineering Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for California Environmental Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 25 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR also took the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,126 for california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at University of California - Riverside

6
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #6, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s environmental engineering degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $22,826 for california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at USC

7
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s environmental engineering degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,698 for california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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 full report on Environmental Engineering at San Diego State University

8

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 9 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,310 for california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.

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 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%.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at University of California - San Diego

9

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified ’s environmental engineering students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for california environmental engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Environmental Engineering Report

10
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 39 ’s environmental engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University also took the #10 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $16,716 for California Environmental Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Environmental Engineering at Humboldt State University

11

University of California - Merced landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Environmental Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s environmental engineering degrees to qualified students.

UC Merced also took the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $14,261 for California Environmental Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Read full report on Environmental Engineering at University of California - Merced

Switch to a Similar Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options