2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California
Finding the Best Mechanical Engineering School for You
With 5,137 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, mechanical engineering is the #24 most popular major in California.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 28 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges.
Top 10 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for mechanical engineering students. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Stanford.
While working on their degree, ME majors at Stanford accumulate an average of around $11,204 in student debt.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California State University Maritime Academy is a great place for mechanical engineering students. Cal Maritime is a fairly small public school located in the midsize city of Vallejo.
ME majors at Cal Maritime take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, ME graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out $20,500 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $418.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for mechanical engineering students. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, ME graduates from UC Berkeley take out $13,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $392.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
The excellent programs at Santa Clara University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best mechanical engineering schools in California. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara.
After completing their degree, ME graduates from SCU carry an average student debtload of $20,167.
University of Southern California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #6 on the list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
While working on their degree, ME majors at USC accumulate an average of around $17,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $444.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of Southern California
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, ME graduates from UCLA take out $18,204 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $440.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California ranking. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, ME graduates from UCSB take out $15,787 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara Report
With a ranking of #9, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on this year’s best schools for mechanical engineering students. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
While working on their degree, ME majors at Loyola Marymount accumulate an average of around $25,500 in student debt.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Loyola Marymount University
University of California - Davis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a fairly large student population.
ME majors at UC Davis take out an average of $12,250 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $304.
Best Mechanical Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 1,078 |
| Oregon | 646 |
| Nevada | 270 |
| Hawaii | 90 |
| Alaska | 66 |
More Mechanical Engineering Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to ME
One of 40 majors within the area of study, mechanical engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to ME
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 12,811 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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 Michel Villeneuve.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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