2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Engineering Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 30 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for engineering students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Engineering Schools
Our analysis found California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo to be the best value school for engineering students who want to pursue a degree in California. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 per year. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 5% of our Best Engineering Schools in California ranking.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Chico. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. Chico State is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Chico.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chico State are $7,864 per year. The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at Chico State take out is $22,250.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a great value for engineering students. Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public college with a very large student population.
Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $7,439 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that engineering majors at Cal Poly Pomona take out is $22,518. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $183.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the city of San Jose.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Jose State also is in the top 20% of our Best Engineering Schools in California ranking.
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Out of the 30 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the # 5 spot on the list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSULB are $6,846 a year. Engineering majors at CSULB take out an average of $19,310 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #6, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for engineering students. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SDSU are $8,136 a year. Engineering majors at SDSU take out an average of $20,714 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $252, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value engineering programs. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sac State are $7,392 per year. While working on their degree, engineering majors at Sac State accumulate an average of around $19,807 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $174.
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California State University - Fresno ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Schools in California list. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Fresno State are $6,653 per year. While working on their degree, engineering majors at Fresno State accumulate an average of around $16,612 in student debt.
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National University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value engineering programs. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at National University are $13,320 a year. While working on their degree, engineering majors at National University accumulate an average of around $35,500 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on this year’s best value schools for engineering students. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UC Berkeley are $14,226 per year. 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.
UC Berkeley also made our Best Engineering Schools in California list, coming in at #3.
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Request InformationBest Value Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value 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
Majors Related to Engineering
Engineering Majors to Study
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.
- 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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