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.
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2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Civil Engineering Colleges.
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.
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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #2 on this year’s 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.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each 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
Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $7,852 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Jose State also is in the top 20% of our Best Civil Engineering Schools in California ranking.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Chico. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the city of Chico, Chico State is a public college with a fairly 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Chico
The excellent programs at California State University - Sacramento helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best civil engineering schools in California. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Sacramento.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,392 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school 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.
California State University - Fresno did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for civil engineering students. It came in at #7 on the list. Fresno State is a very large public school located in the large 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.
Full Civil Engineering at California State University - Fresno Report
With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for civil engineering students. SDSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
SDSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,136 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, civil eng majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $19,842 in student debt.
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 fairly large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SFSU are $7,304 a year. The average amount in student loans that civil eng majors at SFSU take out is $18,500.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Engineering Schools in California ranking. 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.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles
Best Value Civil Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Civil Engineering Colleges 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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