2023 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
13
Ranked Colleges
1,386
Degrees Awarded
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 11,796 people earned their degree in general engineering, making the major the 79th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,873 and had an average of $20,557 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,386 general engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $85,262 and $12,259 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 123 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,193 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 more about General Engineering at University of California - Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvey Mudd College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Harvey Mudd College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 58 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvey Mudd College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,077 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Harvey Mudd College.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Harvey Mudd College General Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,423 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 96%.
Read more about General Engineering at UC Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 58 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Los Angeles General Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,030 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.
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 General Engineering Report
With a ranking of #6, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 54 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $17,338 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about General Engineering at San Jose State University
University of California - Riverside landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,126 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on General Engineering at UCR
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 8 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 9 diplomas 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 yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $15,958 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
Santa Clara University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SCU is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 5 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SCU also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $29,618 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Santa Clara University.
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%.
Read full report on General Engineering at Santa Clara University
With a ranking of #11, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,065 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Engineering at San Francisco State University
University of San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. University of San Diego 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.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, USD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Diego is $28,214 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 USD
University of the Pacific ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of the Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
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 $25,543 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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 University of the Pacific
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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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