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2024 Best Engineering Doctor's Degree Schools in California

11 Colleges in California
1,252 Doctor's Degrees
$106,144 Avg Early-Career Salary
Engineering is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #4 most popular doctor's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual reviewed 11 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for doctor's degree seekers in the field of engineering. Combined, these schools handed out 1,252 doctor's degrees in engineering to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Engineering School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Engineering Doctor's Degree Schools in California Your choice of engineering for getting your doctor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for engineering students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Schools

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The engineering 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 the Best Engineering Doctor's Degree Schools in California.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Engineering in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for engineering students seeking a a doctor's degree.

10 Top California Schools for a Doctorate in Engineering

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
262 Annual Graduates

Stanford University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in engineering. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in engineering has to check out University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of Southern California

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
168 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of California - Berkeley if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in engineering. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Berkeley

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 Annual Graduates

University of California - Los Angeles is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in engineering. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Los Angeles

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Annual Graduates

UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Davis

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
162 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - San Diego

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Irvine

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Annual Graduates

UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Santa Barbara

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Santa Cruz

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Annual Graduates

UCR is a fairly large public university located in the city of Riverside.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Riverside

Best Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 27 175
Oregon 27 96
Nevada 25 41
Hawaii 23 13
Alaska 10 3

View All Rankings >

Engineering Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 337
Mechanical Engineering 217
Biomedical Engineering 164
Chemical Engineering 133
Civil Engineering 118
Materials Engineering 86
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 44
Other Engineering 39
Computer Engineering 35
Nuclear Engineering 16

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 935
Physical Sciences 793
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 268
Mathematics & Statistics 245
Natural Resources & Conservation 74
Architecture & Related Services 36
Engineering Technologies 26

Notes and References

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