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 2023 rankings named California State Polytechnic University - Pomona the best value school in California for civil engineering students. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the suburb of Pomona.
Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $7,439 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.
Full Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 a 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 also claimed a spot on our Best Civil Engineering Schools in California list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a fairly 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 also claimed a spot on our Best Civil Engineering Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Civil Engineering at San Jose State University Report
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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Chico landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Chico, Chico State is a public school with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chico State are $7,864 per year. After completing their degree, civil eng graduates from Chico State carry an average student debtload of $20,500.
Full Civil Engineering at California State University - Chico Report
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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the # 5 spot on the list. Sac State is a very 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.
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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 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, civil eng majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $18,500 in student debt.
Full Civil Engineering at California State University - Long Beach Report
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California State University - Fresno ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Fresno State is a very 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.
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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 fairly large public school located in the city of San Diego.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SDSU are $8,136 a year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $19,842 in student debt.
Full Civil Engineering at San Diego State University Report
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With a ranking of #9, San Francisco State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. SFSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco.
SFSU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,304 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at SFSU take out is $18,500.
Full Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University Report
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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.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State LA are $6,785 per 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.
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