2023 Best Engineering Graduate Certificate Schools in California
Finding the Best Engineering Graduate Certificate 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 Graduate Certificate 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 6 schools in California to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Engineering Graduate Certificate Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Engineering Graduate Certificate Colleges.
Top California Schools for a Postbaccalaureate Certificates in Engineering
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for engineering students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in California. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a great place for engineering students working on their graduate certificate. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Read full report on Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Engineering Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Full Engineering at University of Southern California Report
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means San Jose State University is a great place for engineering students working on their graduate certificate. San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Jose.
Read full report on Engineering at San Jose State University
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Loyola Marymount University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Engineering Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Engineering at Loyola Marymount University
Request Information
San Diego State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate engineering programs. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Engineering at San Diego State University Report
Request InformationBest 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 6 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.
More about our data sources and methodologies.