2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in California
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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” ranking is part of that endeavor.
With 200,458 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, engineering is the 6th most popular major in the United States. 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” 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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”.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University Maritime Academy. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Vallejo, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
Cal Maritime also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $20,597 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend California State University Maritime Academy.
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 more about Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 1,254 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree engineering 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 234 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full California State University - Fresno Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 669 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering students list, UCLA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.
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 1.0% 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 more about Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 759 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering students list, CSULB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best 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 Engineering students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 507 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.
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%.
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 227 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 972 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
San Jose State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 984 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend San Jose State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - Berkeley ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 1,011 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend UC Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 810 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend San Diego State University.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of California - San Diego landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 948 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
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 yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students.
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%. 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 more about Engineering at University of California - San Diego
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 516 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students.
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%.
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 463 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 California State University - Fullerton Engineering Report
University of California - Irvine landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 1,055 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.
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%.
University of California - Davis landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 933 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 249 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree engineering 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara
Humboldt State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend Humboldt State University.
With a ranking of #19, National University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.
National University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
San Francisco State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 244 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.
Read more about Engineering at San Francisco State University
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 313 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree engineering 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%.
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #22. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 455 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 215 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree engineering students per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 73 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.
Read more about Engineering at California State University - Bakersfield
Sonoma State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering students.
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%.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Petty Officer 3rd Class Declan Barnes.
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