2023 Best Engineering Schools in California
Finding the Best Engineering School for You
In 2020-2021, engineering students earned 25,076 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 8th in the state.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.
The Best Engineering Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 30 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Engineering Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for engineering majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Engineering Schools
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for engineering students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at Stanford take out is $8,929.
Out of the 30 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 2 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at UC Berkeley take out is $13,535. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $370.
Full Engineering at University of California - Berkeley Report
Out of the 30 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the # 3 spot on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
After completing their degree, engineering graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $20,507. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $455, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
While working on their degree, engineering majors at National University accumulate an average of around $35,500 in student debt.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Clara University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their degree, engineering graduates from SCU carry an average student debtload of $24,164.
University of Southern California came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Engineering Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Engineering majors at USC take out an average of $14,557 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $560, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Engineering at University of Southern California
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best engineering programs. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
After completing their degree, engineering graduates from UCLA carry an average student debtload of $18,379. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $440.
Read full report on Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
Loyola Marymount University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Engineering majors at Loyola Marymount take out an average of $25,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
University of California - Davis landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best engineering programs. UC Davis is a very large public school located in the small suburb of Davis.
After completing their degree, engineering graduates from UC Davis carry an average student debtload of $14,812. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $288.
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best schools for engineering students. UCSB is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.
The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at UCSB take out is $16,437.
Best Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 3,545 |
| Oregon | 2,281 |
| Hawaii | 301 |
| Nevada | 900 |
| Alaska | 178 |
More Engineering Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Engineering
Engineering Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 12,811 |
| General Engineering | 11,796 |
| Industrial Engineering | 9,072 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 8,001 |
| Systems Engineering | 3,904 |
| Materials Engineering | 3,415 |
| Other Engineering | 2,760 |
| Environmental Engineering | 2,759 |
| Operations Research | 1,698 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 1,472 |
| Engineering Science | 1,454 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering. | 1,378 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 1,256 |
| Robotics Engineering | 1,243 |
| Architectural Engineering | 1,012 |
| Engineering Physics | 994 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 947 |
| Construction Engineering | 878 |
| Nuclear Engineering | 864 |
| Marine Engineering | 445 |
| Biological Engineering | 410 |
| Polymer & Plastics Engineering | 360 |
| Geoscience Engineering | 325 |
| Mining Engineering | 314 |
| Textile Engineering | 310 |
| Ocean Engineering | 285 |
| Engineering Mechanics | 272 |
| Metallurgical Engineering | 179 |
| Energy Systems Engineering | 138 |
| Biochemical Engineering | 109 |
| Ceramic Engineering | 94 |
| Surveying Engineering | 73 |
| Electromechanical Engineering | 45 |
| Forest Engineering | 41 |
| Paper Science & Engineering | 27 |
| Engineering Chemistry | 13 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Engineering
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer & Information Sciences | 254,454 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 177,778 |
| Engineering Technologies | 85,188 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 52,396 |
| Physical Sciences | 50,306 |
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 Petty Officer 3rd Class Declan Barnes.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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