2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k
13
Ranked Colleges
1,386
Degrees Awarded
$22,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Engineering is the 79th most popular major in the country with 11,796 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank General Engineering Schools
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 $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for General Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in California
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #1 spot on the list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Davis has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $18,728 for California Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full University of California - Davis General Engineering Report
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 58 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $20,697 for california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles General Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $21,601 for california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 spot on the list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 17 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,789 for California Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fresno State.
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%.
Read more about 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 $75-$110k. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvey Mudd College is $25,320 for California Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Full Harvey Mudd College General Engineering Report
San Jose State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Jose State University 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.
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 yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $21,035 for California Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 2.9% 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%.
Full San Jose State 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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $22,744 for California Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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.
Read more about General Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 52 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $16,887 for california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCR General Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $18,166 for California Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona General Engineering Report
With a ranking of #10, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
SCU also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $34,770 for california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full SCU General Engineering Report
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 29 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $20,159 for California Engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 SFSU
With a ranking of #12, University of San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of San Diego is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 7 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
USD also made our “Best General Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $32,095 for california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of San Diego.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 University of San Diego
With a ranking of #13, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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 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 $29,823 for california engineering students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
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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