2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
28
Ranked Colleges
5,137
Degrees Awarded
$11,000
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Mechanical Engineering is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 5,137 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in general mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general mechanical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General Mechanical Engineering Schools
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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 253 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,581 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Stanford General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 320 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 252 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,891 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 379 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $11,176 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - San Diego General Mechanical Engineering Report
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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 274 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,598 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.
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 Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 173 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,701 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 General Mechanical Engineering at Cal State LA
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 359 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,449 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Mechanical Engineering at UC Irvine
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 211 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Cal State Fullerton
California State University - Northridge ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 234 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Northridge
With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 243 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $9,274 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at SDSU
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 194 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,573 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #12, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 217 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
USC also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $17,345 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern California
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,992 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
California State University - Fresno came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $4,655 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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 full report on General Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Fresno
With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 93 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSB has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,606 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.8% 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 UCSB General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #16, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 321 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 229 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,055 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento General Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,193 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Riverside General Mechanical Engineering Report
San Jose State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 209 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $13,378 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 86%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University
With a ranking of #20, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.
SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $23,508 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University
California State University - Chico landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 72 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
Chico State also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $13,040 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Chico
University of California - Merced came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 171 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,400 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Merced.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Merced
San Francisco State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $11,862 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Mechanical Engineering at San Francisco State University
California State University Maritime Academy landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Vallejo, California, this small public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
Cal Maritime did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Maritime is $18,048 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Cal Maritime
California Baptist University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 58 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $22,162 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Cal Baptist
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