2023 Best Value Computer Engineering Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Computer Engineering School for You
With 3,384 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, computer engineering is the #38 most popular major in California.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Computer Engineering Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for CE students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Computer Engineering Schools
Our 2023 rankings named California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo the best value school in California for computer 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.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 per year. After completing their degree, CE graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $19,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $446.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Computer Engineering Schools in California list.
Full Computer Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
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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 #2 on this year’s Best Value Computer Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, San Jose State is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Computer Engineering Schools in California list.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Los Angeles is a great value for computer engineering students. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UCLA are $13,258 per year. The average amount in student loans that CE majors at UCLA take out is $15,693.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UCLA also did well on our Best Computer Engineering Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. CE majors at CSULB take out an average of $15,735 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Engineering Schools in California list. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Pomona.
Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $7,439 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, CE graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $19,724.
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California State University - Fresno did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer engineering students. It came in at #6 on the list. Fresno State is a very large public school located in the large city of Fresno.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Fresno State are $6,653 per year. The average amount in student loans that CE majors at Fresno State take out is $19,500.
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San Diego State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Computer Engineering Schools in California list. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SDSU are $8,136 a year. CE majors at SDSU take out an average of $22,087 in student loans while working on their egree.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value computer engineering programs. Sac State is a very large public school located in the 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, CE graduates from Sac State carry an average student debtload of $18,500.
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With a ranking of #9, California State University - Chico did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer engineering students. 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.
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With a ranking of #10, California State University - Northridge did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer engineering students. CSUN is a fairly large public school located in the city of Northridge.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUN are $7,043 a year. While working on their degree, CE majors at CSUN accumulate an average of around $15,750 in student debt.
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Request InformationBest Value Computer Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Computer Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 123 |
| Oregon | 43 |
| Nevada | 187 |
| Hawaii | 22 |
| Alaska | 6 |
More Computer Engineering Rankings in California
Majors Related to CE
Computer Engineering is one of 40 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 12,811 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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