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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

9 Ranked Colleges
185 Degrees Awarded
$8,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Materials Engineering is the 189th most popular major in the country with 3,485 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 482 general materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 185 general materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer a degree in general materials engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general materials 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 general materials 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.

More Ways to Rank General Materials Engineering Schools

The materials processing and manufacturing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 9 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford General Materials Engineering Report

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $5,456 for california bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Caltech

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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.

Full UCLA General Materials Engineering Report

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 students.

Full UC Irvine General Materials Engineering Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #5 spot on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 38 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Riverside General Materials Engineering Report

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis General Materials Engineering Report

#8

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#6 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at San Jose State

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Merced ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $10,782 for California Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at University of California - Merced

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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

Footnotes

  • *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 Panoramedia.

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