2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
13
Ranked Colleges
475
Degrees Awarded
$20,700
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 9,018 people earned their degree in general engineering, making the major the 96th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 475 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree 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
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering in California (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 123 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for california engineering students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about General Engineering at University of California - Davis
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,023 for california engineering students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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%. 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 University of California - 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 #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $6,230 for california engineering students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fresno General Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for california engineering students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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 General Engineering Report
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #5 spot on the list. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 54 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for california engineering students with aid.
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.
Read full report on General Engineering at San Jose State
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students with aid list, UCR has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,822 for California Engineering students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UCR General Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 9 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,304 for california engineering students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
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%. 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 Cal Poly Pomona
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 8 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $20,677 for california engineering students with aid per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - 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 General Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 29 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $14,459 for california engineering students with aid.
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
Harvey Mudd College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Harvey Mudd College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Harvey Mudd College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvey Mudd College is $33,467 for California Engineering students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about General Engineering at Harvey Mudd College
With a ranking of #11, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Pacific is $28,380 for California Engineering students with aid.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 General Engineering at University of the Pacific
Santa Clara University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SCU is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $42,614 for California Engineering students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 General Engineering at Santa Clara University
University of San Diego landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $34,139 for california engineering students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on General Engineering at University of San Diego
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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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