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Best General Engineering Schools in California

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2023 Best General Engineering Schools in California

15 Colleges
$85,262 Avg Salary
$12,259 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Harvey Mudd College the best school in California for general engineering students. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large 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.

Full General Engineering at Harvey Mudd College Report

Out of the 15 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

The excellent programs at University of California - Berkeley helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best general engineering schools in California. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

The excellent programs at University of California - Davis helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best general engineering schools in California. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at UC Davis take out is $13,707.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of California - Davis

#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Clara University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 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.

Full General Engineering at Santa Clara University Report

San Jose State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best General Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full General Engineering at San Jose State University Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best general engineering programs. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on General Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#8

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA

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 college with a medium-sized student population.

Read More…

University of the Pacific came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best General Engineering Schools in California ranking. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Stockton.

Read full report on General Engineering at University of the Pacific

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s best schools for general engineering students. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read More…

Best 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

One of 40 majors within the area of study, general engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

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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