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2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

11 Ranked Colleges
497 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 3,415 people earned their degree in materials engineering, making the major the 154th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, materials engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,007 and had an average of $23,030 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 497 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,066 and $15,554 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in materials engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent materials 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 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.

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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 Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $7,081 for california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Stanford University

2

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at UCLA

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 72 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,310 for California Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 94%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UCSD

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 59 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $13,275 for California Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at UC Irvine

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,193 for california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at UC Davis

6
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $22,826 for california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Materials Engineering at USC

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 91%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UCR

8

California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,780 for California Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at CSUN

9

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for California Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Materials Engineering Report

10
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials engineering degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,338 for California Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Jose State Materials Engineering Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,261 for California Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UC Merced

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