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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

29 Ranked Colleges
4,047 Degrees Awarded
$14,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Mechanical Engineering is the 20th most popular major in the country with 47,598 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great 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 mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank 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 ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 144 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 54 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Stanford Mechanical Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

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

Full Fresno State Mechanical Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 231 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Mechanical Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 226 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Northridge

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 137 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 263 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Irvine

California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Mechanical Engineering Report

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 306 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full San Diego State University Mechanical Engineering Report

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 177 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

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

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

University of California - San Diego came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 179 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 94%.

Full UCSD Mechanical Engineering Report

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 145 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 UCR Mechanical Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 225 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

University of California - Davis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 176 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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

California State University - Sacramento ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 204 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 308 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

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. It costs about $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #17, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 193 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid per year to attend San Jose State.

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

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State

#18

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 88 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The 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 91%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Chico came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Chico State

California State University Maritime Academy ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University Maritime Academy is a public institution located in Vallejo, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University Maritime Academy is $20,597 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

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

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid.

Full SFSU Mechanical Engineering Report

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 146 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Merced

#23

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

California Institute of Technology came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students with aid list, Caltech has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $24,274 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

#24

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #24, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 35 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $24,707 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal Baptist

#25

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree me students with aid per year to attend USC.

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. 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%.

Full USC Mechanical Engineering Report

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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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