2026 Best Systems Engineering Schools in California
Systems Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for systems engineering students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Systems Engineering in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the systems engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Systems Engineering
Our analysis ranked University Of Southern California the best school in the country for a degree in systems engineering. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. About 92% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 24 systems engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Southern California in the most recent data year. Systems Engineering graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of $118,363 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $15,625.
Read more about the systems engineering program at University Of Southern California
University Of California San Diego came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best systems engineering schools. University Of California San Diego is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla. The six-year graduation rate is 86%. About 31 systems engineering degrees were awarded at University Of California San Diego in the most recent year. Graduates of the systems engineering program make about $60,797 in their early career. University Of California San Diego graduates carry a median of $17,101 in student loans.
More information about a degree in systems engineering from University Of California San Diego
Loyola Marymount University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best systems engineering schools. Loyola Marymount University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. The six-year graduation rate is 79%. Loyola Marymount University awarded about 12 systems engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their systems engineering degree from Loyola Marymount University earn around $52,935 in the first couple years of their career. Loyola Marymount University graduates carry a median of $22,248 in student loans.
Get the full systems engineering details for Loyola Marymount University
Students looking for a strong systems engineering program will find one at California State University Dominguez Hills, which ranked #4. This large public university is located in the city of Carson. About 43% of students finish within six years. California State University Dominguez Hills awarded about 13 systems engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their systems engineering degree from California State University Dominguez Hills earn around $52,683 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $15,886 to complete this degree.
See the full systems engineering program report for California State University Dominguez Hills
More Systems Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
