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

35 Ranked Colleges
7,220 Degrees Awarded
$92,459 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 7,220 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering. To top this list, a school must have a successful engineering program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

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

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 1,178 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Read more about Engineering at USC

2
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #2 spot on the list. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 910 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Engineering at San Jose State University

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 Master’s. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 816 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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 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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 645 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

5
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 #5 for the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 617 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read more about Engineering at Stanford

6

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 494 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Engineering at UCLA

7
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #7. Naval Postgraduate School is located in Monterey, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 423 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

Full Naval Postgraduate School Engineering Report

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 272 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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 University of California - Irvine

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 205 masters’s degrees 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 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%.

Read full report on Engineering at UCR

10
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. SCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 199 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full SCU Engineering Report

11

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 198 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal State Fullerton Engineering Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 198 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. 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 full report on Engineering at University of California - Davis

13

With a ranking of #13, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 154 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

14

California State University - Long Beach ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 92 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Engineering Report

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 92 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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.

Full SDSU Engineering Report

16

California State University - Northridge came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s engineering degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

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 California State University - Northridge

17

California Institute of Technology landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 73 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at California Institute of Technology

18

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 72 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

19

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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

20

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read more about Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

21
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 58 degrees to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Engineering at Loyola Marymount University

22

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Engineering Report

23

California State University - Fresno ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 masters’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Fresno State

24

International Technological University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. Located in San Jose, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified masters’s engineering students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Engineering at International Technological University

24
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

University of the Pacific ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Engineering Major in California for a Master’s list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 34 masters’s engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Pacific

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