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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California

29 Ranked Colleges
4,047 Degrees Awarded
$16,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, we looked at 29 colleges that offer a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University Maritime Academy. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University Maritime Academy is a small school located in Vallejo, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Maritime also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $20,597 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend California State University Maritime Academy.

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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cal Maritime

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 California State University - Long Beach

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 226 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students list, CSUN has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend CSUN.

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%.

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

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s 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 yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

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

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

#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 list. University of California - Los Angeles 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.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

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 more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 225 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

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 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 102 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend Chico State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Chico

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 193 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full San Jose State University Mechanical Engineering Report

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University

#11

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 177 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. It costs about $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 231 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal State Fullerton

With a ranking of #13, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - San Diego 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

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

Full UCSD Mechanical Engineering Report

University of California - Irvine came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 263 bachelors’s ME degrees 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 $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend UC Irvine.

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

Full UC Irvine Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 176 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend UC Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Davis

#16

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 88 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend UCSB.

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%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCSB

#17

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 97 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree me students per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SFSU

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 204 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 144 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

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 full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cal State LA

#20

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 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.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. 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 UCR

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students.

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%. 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 University of California - Merced Mechanical Engineering Report

#22

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $24,707 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

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

#23

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California

With a ranking of #23, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

The low 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%. 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 University of the Pacific Mechanical Engineering Report

#24

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #24. Loyola Marymount is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree me students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Loyola Marymount

#25

University of San Diego

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #25, University of San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This medium-sized school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USD, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,460 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students per year to attend University of San Diego.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on 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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