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2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s

53 Ranked Colleges
15,173 Degrees Awarded
$65,674 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Engineering is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 198,468 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 15,173 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 53 colleges that offer a degree in engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular engineering programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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.

Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 1,244 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Engineering Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 1,169 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Engineering Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 1,069 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Engineering at UCSD

4

Out of the 53 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 1,051 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 full report on Engineering at University of California - Irvine

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,017 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

6

University of California - Davis ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 973 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at UC Davis

7
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 941 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 713 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Engineering Report

9

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 694 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full CSULB Engineering Report

10
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 677 students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at San Diego State University

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 526 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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

12
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s 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 519 students in 2020-2021.

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 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. 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%.

Full University of Southern California Engineering Report

13

California State University - Northridge landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 452 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at California State University - Northridge

14

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 445 students in 2020-2021.

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 91%.

Read more about Engineering at University of California - Riverside

15

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. University of California - Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 430 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Merced Engineering Report

16

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 413 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering at Cal State Fullerton

17

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 343 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Engineering at Cal State LA

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 257 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at SFSU

19

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 243 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 University of California - Santa Barbara

20
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 240 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Stanford

21

California State University - Chico landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 230 students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Engineering at Chico State

22
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 223 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SCU Engineering Report

23

California State University - Fresno ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 189 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Engineering at Fresno State

24

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 175 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Engineering Report

25
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 154 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 California Baptist University Engineering Report

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