2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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 Value Civil Engineering Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 23 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for civil eng students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Civil Engineering Schools
Our analysis found California State Polytechnic University - Pomona to be the best value school for civil engineering students who want to pursue a degree in California. Cal Poly Pomona is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Pomona.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly Pomona are $7,439 a year. On average, civil eng graduates from Cal Poly Pomona take out $17,981 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $189, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 per year. 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.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Civil Engineering Schools in California list.
Full Civil Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means San Jose State University is a great value for civil engineering students. Located in the 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.
San Jose State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Civil Engineering Schools in California list.
Full Civil Engineering at San Jose State University Report
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - Chico is a great value for civil engineering students. Located in the medium-sized city of Chico, Chico State is a public school with a large student population.
Chico State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,864 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Chico State carry an average student debtload of $20,500.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Chico
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sac State are $7,392 per year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Sac State carry an average student debtload of $22,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $156.
Full Civil Engineering at California State University - Sacramento Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSULB are $6,846 a year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $18,500 in student debt.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Long Beach
Request Information
California State University - Fresno ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Fresno.
Fresno State undergraduate students pay an average of $6,653 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at Fresno State take out is $15,132.
Request Information
San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California ranking. SDSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Diego.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SDSU are $8,136 per year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $19,842 in student debt.
Request Information
San Francisco State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #9 on the list. SFSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SFSU are $7,304 per year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at SFSU take out is $18,500.
Request Information
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #10 on the list. Cal State LA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal State LA are $6,785 a year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at Cal State LA accumulate an average of around $18,746 in student debt.
Request InformationBest Value Civil Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value 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
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.
- 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.
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.