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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California

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Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California” ranking.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2021-2022, 192,474 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In , engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $68,641 and had an average of $23,252 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 24,454 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,831 and $21,118 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California” ranking, we looked at 136 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their engineering program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Engineering in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 237 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Engineering at California Institute of Technology

2
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvey Mudd College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. Harvey Mudd College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at Harvey Mudd College

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 1,336 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

4
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 1,075 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.2% 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 more about Engineering at Stanford University

5

Out of the 136 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Merced landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 501 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at University of California - Merced

6

International Technological University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering at International Technological University

7
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

With a ranking of #7, Naval Postgraduate School did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. Naval Postgraduate School is located in Monterey, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 829 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Engineering at Naval Postgraduate School

8
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 1,509 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Engineering at San Jose State University

9

University of California - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 1,717 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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

10

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s engineering degrees to 1,198 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

11
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. SCU is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 394 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Santa Clara University

12

University of California - Berkeley came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,451 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 - Berkeley

13

Southern California Institute of Technology came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. Southern California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Anaheim, California that handed out 21 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Southern California Institute of Technology Engineering Report

14

California State University Maritime Academy ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. Located in Vallejo, California, this small public school awarded 42 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy

15

Northwestern Polytechnic University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. Located in Fremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified ’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Northwestern Polytechnic University Engineering Report

16

University of California - Irvine came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 1,505 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Full UC Irvine Engineering Report

17

University of California - Davis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 1,138 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at University of California - Davis

18
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,471 diplomas to qualified ’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at USC

19

University of California - Riverside ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 584 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCR Engineering Report

20

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,405 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Engineering Report

21
KGI crest
Keck Graduate Institute
Claremont, California

Keck Graduate Institute came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. KGI is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 22 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering at KGI

22
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #22, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 880 ’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 90%.

Read more about Engineering at SDSU

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 846 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

24

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 521 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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 more about Engineering at Sac State

25

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 312 ’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Cal State LA

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References

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