2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
13
Ranked Colleges
475
Degrees Awarded
$13,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
General Engineering is the 96th most popular major in the country with 9,018 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 475 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general 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 general engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 123 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $10,006 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
Read full report on General Engineering at UC Davis
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read more about General Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 58 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for california engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 General Engineering at UCLA
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for California Engineering 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Fresno State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvey Mudd College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 58 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Harvey Mudd College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,492 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvey Mudd College.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 General Engineering at Harvey Mudd College
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $12,158 for california engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full San Jose State University General Engineering Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
University of California - Riverside came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 52 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,810 for california engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read more about General Engineering at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #9, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 General Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
SFSU also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $10,705 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full SFSU General Engineering Report
Santa Clara University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SCU also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $26,428 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full Santa Clara University General Engineering Report
University of San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. USD is located in San Diego, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
USD also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,951 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of San Diego.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of San Diego General Engineering Report
University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Stockton, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $22,792 for California Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of the Pacific General Engineering Report
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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
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Rémi Kaupp.
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