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

29 Ranked Colleges
4,047 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,495 and had an average of $23,104 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 5,259 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,612 and $20,850 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,047 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent mechanical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Mechanical Engineering Schools

The me 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 ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value ME 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. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME 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.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $5,456 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The 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 96%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 137 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value ME 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 #5 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 263 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Irvine

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 144 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Mechanical Engineering Report

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 231 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Fullerton

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 California State University - Fresno Mechanical Engineering Report

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 306 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Mechanical Engineering Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 308 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 193 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

CSULB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 226 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Mechanical Engineering Report

University of California - Davis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 176 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - 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 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%.

Full University of California - Davis Mechanical Engineering Report

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 145 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Riverside

University of California - San Diego came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 179 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME 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 low 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 Mechanical Engineering at UCSD

#16

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 88 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Mechanical Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 225 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

California State University - Sacramento came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 204 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento

California State University Maritime Academy ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Vallejo, California, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Maritime, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Maritime is $12,774 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy

#20

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #20, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 193 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University

#21

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 96 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at USC

California State University - Chico landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 102 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Mechanical Engineering Report

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at San Francisco State University

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 146 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,782 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Merced.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced

#25

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of San Diego is located in San Diego, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

USD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USD is $22,263 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of San Diego

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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.

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