2023 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California
28
Ranked Colleges
5,137
Degrees Awarded
$28,100
Avg Net Price*
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 Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Mechanical Engineering is the 21st most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 5,137 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $73,918 and $19,735 respectively.
This year’s “Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality mechanical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
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Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 211 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
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%. 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 Cal State Fullerton
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 173 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 243 students in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
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 Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UCLA 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,023 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UCLA.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 321 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for California ME students whose families make more than $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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Northridge came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 234 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $8,523 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k 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%.
Full California State University - Northridge Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 194 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,054 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend CSULB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 89%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 379 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make more than $110k list, UCSD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UCSD
With a ranking of #9, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 247 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make more than $110k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $14,304 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
University of California - Berkeley ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 320 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,032 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Davis landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 274 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Davis Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 229 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Sac State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Mechanical Engineering at Sac State
San Jose State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 209 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make more than $110k list, San Jose State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
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%. 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 San Jose State University Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Fresno came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k 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 California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Fresno State Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Irvine came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 359 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
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.
Full University of California - Irvine Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Chico landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 72 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make more than $110k list, Chico State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,218 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Chico
With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 93 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $16,252 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCSB
California State University Maritime Academy ranked #18 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University Maritime Academy is a public institution located in Vallejo, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Maritime also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend California State University Maritime Academy is $21,743 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal Maritime
Stanford University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,894 for california me students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Stanford.
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 undergrad 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%. 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.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Stanford
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #20. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Riverside
San Francisco State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,459 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SFSU.
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 more about Mechanical Engineering at San Francisco State University
University of California - Merced landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UC Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 171 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make more than $110k list, UC Merced has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $13,691 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced
California Baptist University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 58 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $26,719 for California ME students whose families make more than $110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California Baptist University
University of Southern California landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ME degrees to 217 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $32,569 for california me students whose families make more than $110k.
The impressive undergraduate 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. 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern California
Santa Clara University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. SCU is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
SCU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $42,614 for california me students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Santa Clara University.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SCU
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