2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California
34
Ranked Colleges
25,212
Degrees Awarded
$13,100
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Engineering Schools in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 198,468 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, engineering is the 7th most popular major in the United States. 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” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Schools in California” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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
The colleges and universities below are the best for california engineering students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 1,342 students in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for california engineering students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering at UCLA
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 1,403 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california engineering students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Engineering Report
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 1,982 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,032 for California Engineering students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Engineering Report
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 2,047 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,240 for california engineering students per year to attend UCSD.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering at University of California - San Diego
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Engineering Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #5 spot on the list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 1,943 students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,542 for california engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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.
Read full report on Engineering at San Jose State University
University of California - Davis landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 1,248 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Engineering students.
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 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%.
Read full report on Engineering at UC Davis
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 1,418 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,209 for California Engineering students per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering at UC Irvine
California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 786 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students list, CSULB has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for California Engineering 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering at CSULB
With a ranking of #9, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,089 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,304 for california engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 88%.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Engineering Report
San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 777 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for california engineering students per year to attend San Diego State University.
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 90%.
Full SDSU Engineering Report
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 539 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for california engineering students.
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%.
Full CSUN Engineering Report
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 366 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,252 for California Engineering students per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UCSB Engineering Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 597 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students list, Sac State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,178 for california engineering students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering at Sac State
California State University - Chico ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 230 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,218 for California Engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at Chico State
California State University - Fullerton landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 611 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #22 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,003 for california engineering students per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Cal State Fullerton
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 226 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $6,230 for california engineering students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at California State University - Fresno
With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 221 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california engineering students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of California - Santa Cruz
Humboldt State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 39 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,956 for California Engineering students per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Read more about Engineering at Humboldt State University
With a ranking of #19, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 691 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for California Engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 88%.
Full University of California - Riverside Engineering Report
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 387 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,302 for california engineering students per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles
University of California - Merced landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 468 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2020-2021.
UC Merced also made our “Best Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $13,691 for california engineering students per year to attend University of California - Merced.
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%.
Read full report on Engineering at University of California - Merced
National University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 38 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california engineering students list, National University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,722 for California Engineering students per year to attend National University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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 National University
San Francisco State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 286 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $14,459 for california engineering students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 San Francisco State University Engineering Report
California State University - Bakersfield ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 70 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $7,454 for california engineering students.
Full CSUB Engineering Report
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 37 ’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for california engineering students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering at CSUSB
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