2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 28 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for ME students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Colleges.
Top 10 Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found California State University Maritime Academy to be the best value school for mechanical engineering students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Cal Maritime is a fairly small public school located in the medium-sized city of Vallejo.
Cal Maritime undergraduate students pay an average of $7,116 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, ME graduates from Cal Maritime carry an average student debtload of $29,280.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Maritime is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a great value for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 a year. On average, ME graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out $19,650 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $418.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list.
Full Mechanical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a great value for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. 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. On average, ME graduates from Cal Poly Pomona take out $21,005 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $177, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - Chico is a great value for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Chico, Chico State is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Chico State are $7,864 a year. ME majors at Chico State take out an average of $22,529 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Out of the 28 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
San Jose State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,852 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
San Diego State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SDSU are $8,136 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, ME graduates from SDSU carry an average student debtload of $20,923. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $252, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s best value schools for mechanical engineering students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSULB are $6,846 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, ME graduates from CSULB carry an average student debtload of $19,267.
California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree mechanical engineering programs. CSUN is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Northridge.
CSUN undergraduate students pay an average of $7,043 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, ME majors at CSUN accumulate an average of around $22,274 in student debt.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Northridge
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for mechanical engineering students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UC Berkeley are $14,226 per year. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $392.
In addition to its great value ranking, UC Berkeley is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list.
Full Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley Report
San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree mechanical engineering programs. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Francisco.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SFSU are $7,304 a year. On average, ME graduates from SFSU take out $23,493 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Full Mechanical Engineering at San Francisco State University Report
Best Value Mechanical Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Colleges 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
Mechanical Engineering Related Majors for 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.
- 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.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.