2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
32
Ranked Colleges
25,212
Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 198,468 engineering students received their degree, making the major the 7th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $68,653 and had an average of $23,855 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 25,212 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,831 and $20,014 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent engineering programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.
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. 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 Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,121 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,081 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Read full report on Engineering at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 1,982 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,423 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Berkeley Engineering Report
Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,342 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $12,644 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k 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 Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvey Mudd College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 58 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvey Mudd College, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvey Mudd College is $18,077 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Full Harvey Mudd College Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 1,248 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $14,193 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.
The undergrad 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 93%.
Read more about Engineering at UC Davis
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 2,047 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,310 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Full University of California - San Diego Engineering Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 1,418 students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Engineering at UC Irvine
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 387 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Full Cal State LA Engineering Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 611 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Engineering at Cal State Fullerton
University of Southern California ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 1,815 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,826 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Engineering at USC
California State University - Long Beach ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 786 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $11,189 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at CSULB
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 226 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,030 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Fresno State
California State University - Northridge came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 539 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at CSUN
California State University - Sacramento came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 597 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,602 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at Sac State
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 366 students in 2020-2021.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,583 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 Engineering at UCSB
University of California - Riverside ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 691 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,126 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Riverside Engineering Report
San Diego State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 777 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,698 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%.
Read more about Engineering at SDSU
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 1,089 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $15,958 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 1,943 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,338 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering at San Jose State University
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 1,403 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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 Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,567 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 full report on Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 70 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,102 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUB.
Full CSUB Engineering Report
Santa Clara University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SCU is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 429 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $29,618 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 Engineering at SCU
University of California - Merced landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 468 students in 2020-2021.
UC Merced also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $14,261 for california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Merced Engineering Report
California State University - Chico came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 230 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Chico State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,738 for California Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Full California State University - Chico Engineering Report
college factual
_as_the_ship_operates_in_the_Coral_Sea_on_July_25,_0_130725-N-TG831-011.jpg){kind=link}