2023 Best Civil Engineering Schools in California
Finding the Best Civil Engineering School for You
Civil Engineering is the #41 most popular major in California with 3,198 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Civil Engineering Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 23 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Civil Engineering Schools in California
Check out the civil eng programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Civil Engineering Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for civil engineering students. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a great place for civil engineering students. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $20,368. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $315.
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The excellent programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best civil engineering schools in California. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from USC carry an average student debtload of $11,362.
Full Civil Engineering at University of Southern California Report
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The excellent programs at University of California - Berkeley helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best civil engineering schools in California. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Civil Eng majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $14,342 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Santa Clara University is a great place for civil engineering students. SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Santa Clara.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University
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Loyola Marymount University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best civil engineering programs. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
While working on their degree, civil eng majors at Loyola Marymount accumulate an average of around $25,500 in student debt.
Full Civil Engineering at Loyola Marymount University Report
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University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at UCLA take out is $19,551.
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University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Civil Engineering Schools in California ranking. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at UC Davis take out is $16,202.
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San Jose State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
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University of California - San Diego ranked #10 on this year’s Best Civil Engineering Schools in California list. UCSD is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla.
After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from UCSD carry an average student debtload of $20,000.
Full Civil Engineering at University of California - San Diego Report
Request InformationBest Civil Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Civil Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
State | Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Washington | 581 |
Oregon | 327 |
Nevada | 179 |
Hawaii | 98 |
Alaska | 54 |
More Civil Engineering Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Civil Eng
One of 40 majors within the area of study, civil engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to Civil Eng
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
Biomedical Engineering | 12,811 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 Master Sgt. Roger Parsons.
More about our data sources and methodologies.