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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

36 Ranked Colleges
15,052 Degrees Awarded
$62,726 Avg Salary
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 200,458 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,888 and had an average of $23,564 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 25,440 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $67,620 and $21,114 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 15,052 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering programs and 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 engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Schools

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 “Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 286 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Stanford Engineering Report

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Caltech has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $8,042 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Institute of Technology Engineering Report

#3

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvey Mudd College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 68 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Harvey Mudd College has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvey Mudd College is $14,210 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Harvey Mudd College Engineering Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 1,011 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Engineering Report

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 669 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

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

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 313 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Engineering Report

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 234 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 4.7% 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 Fresno State Engineering Report

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 463 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Engineering at California State University - Fullerton

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 933 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Engineering at University of California - Davis

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 1,055 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Engineering Report

#6 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 1,254 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#13 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 948 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSD Engineering Report

#13

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 455 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $12,290 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCR.

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

Full UCR Engineering Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 759 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 full report on Engineering at CSULB

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 507 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at CSUN

#16

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 249 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also took the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Engineering Report

#17

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 810 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Engineering Report

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 516 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

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%.

Full Sac State Engineering Report

#19 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 972 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#9 in overall quality

California State University Maritime Academy came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Vallejo, California, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Maritime also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,528 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Maritime.

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%.

Full Cal Maritime Engineering Report

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 215 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #20 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,253 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Engineering at UC Santa Cruz

#22

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 413 students in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Engineering at USC

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 73 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Engineering at California State University - Bakersfield

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#18 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 984 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at San Jose State University

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 227 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Chico State 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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