2023 Best General Engineering Schools in California
Finding the Best General Engineering School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,257 degrees and certificates were awarded to general engineering students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #80 most popular major in the state.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best General Engineering Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 15 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best General Engineering Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for engineering majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best General Engineering Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Harvey Mudd College the best school in California for general engineering students. Harvey Mudd College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Claremont.
After completing their degree, engineering graduates from Harvey Mudd College carry an average student debtload of $20,321. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $429.
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The excellent programs at University of California - Los Angeles helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best general engineering schools in California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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Out of the 15 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best General Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at UC Davis take out is $13,707.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Clara University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best General Engineering Schools in California list. SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Santa Clara.
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San Jose State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best general engineering programs. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best General Engineering Schools in California ranking. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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University of San Diego landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best general engineering programs. Located in the city of San Diego, USD is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
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University of the Pacific did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for general engineering students. It came in at #9 on the list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Stockton.
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University of California - Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for general engineering students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
Request InformationBest General Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best General Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 39 |
| Oregon | 49 |
| Alaska | 4 |
More General Engineering Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Engineering
One of 40 majors within the area of study, general engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 15 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 Rémi Kaupp.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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