2023 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Chemical Engineering School for You
Chemical Engineering is the #87 most popular major in California with 1,136 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 13 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value programs for chem eng students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Chemical Engineering Schools
Our 2023 rankings named California State Polytechnic University - Pomona the best value school in California for chemical engineering students. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Pomona.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly Pomona are $7,439 a year. While working on their degree, chem eng majors at Cal Poly Pomona accumulate an average of around $21,000 in student debt.
Request Information
The excellent programs at San Jose State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best chemical engineering schools in California. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Jose State also is in the top 20% of our Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California ranking.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at San Jose State University
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great value for chemical engineering students. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UC Berkeley are $14,226 per year. After completing their degree, chem eng graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $15,000.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California list.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - Long Beach is a great value for chemical engineering students. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSULB are $6,846 per year. While working on their degree, chem eng majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $17,034 in student debt.
Full Chemical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UCLA are $13,258 a year. While working on their degree, chem eng majors at UCLA accumulate an average of around $19,783 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCLA also is in the top 10% of our Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California ranking.
Full Chemical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best value schools for chemical engineering students. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
UCSB undergraduate students pay an average of $14,417 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, chem eng graduates from UCSB carry an average student debtload of $17,500.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCSB also is in the top 10% of our Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California ranking.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara
Request Information
University of California - Davis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for chemical engineering students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a very large student population.
UC Davis undergraduate students pay an average of $14,645 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, chem eng graduates from UC Davis take out $18,500 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $278, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Davis also is in the top 15% of our Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California ranking.
Full Chemical Engineering at University of California - Davis Report
Request Information
University of California - Irvine ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UC Irvine are $13,775 per year. Chem Eng majors at UC Irvine take out an average of $17,249 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Chemical Engineering at University of California - Irvine Report
Request Information
University of California - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in California list. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the city of La Jolla.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UCSD are $14,700 a year. Chem Eng majors at UCSD take out an average of $19,185 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, UCSD is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Chemical Engineering Schools in California list.
Request Information
University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value chemical engineering programs. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UCR are $13,754 a year. Chem Eng majors at UCR take out an average of $17,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $166.
Full Chemical Engineering at University of California - Riverside Report
Request InformationBest Value Chemical Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Chemical Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 210 |
| Oregon | 140 |
| Nevada | 40 |
More Chemical Engineering Rankings in California
Majors Related to Chem Eng
One of 40 majors within the area of study, chemical engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Chem Eng
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 12,811 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 13 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.