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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering Technologies (Income $0-$30k) in California

15 Ranked Colleges
1,170 Degrees Awarded
$12,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Engineering Technologies is the 19th most popular major in the country with 86,730 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, engineering technologies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $46,894 and had an average of $21,178 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 5,611 engineering technologies graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,889 and $29,234 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,170 engineering technologies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in engineering technologies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering technologies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the engineering technologies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Engineering Technologies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering Technologies (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 76 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Engineering Technologies Report

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fresno State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at California State University - Fresno

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering Tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at San Diego State University

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at California State University - Long Beach

#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at California State University - Los Angeles

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering Tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at CSUN

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,455 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Engineering Technologies Report

#2 in overall quality

California State University Maritime Academy ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University Maritime Academy is located in Vallejo, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees to qualified students.

Cal Maritime not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University Maritime Academy is $12,774 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering Tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at Cal Maritime

#10 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 109 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering Tech students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering Technologies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#10

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#5 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 116 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at San Jose State

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 160 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Chico State

#12

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pacific, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $21,972 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of the Pacific Engineering Technologies Report

#13

DeVry University - California

Pomona, California
#13 in overall quality

DeVry University - California ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k list, DeVry University - California has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DeVry University - California is $25,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering Tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at DeVry University - California

#14

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#7 in overall quality

Art Center College of Design came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 95 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees in 2019-2020.

Art Center College of Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Art Center College of Design is $42,297 for california bachelor’s degree engineering tech students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering Technologies at Art Center College of Design

#15

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Engineering Tech Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 bachelors’s engineering tech degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Academy of Art University, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering Technologies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,390 for California Bachelor’s Degree Engineering Tech students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Academy of Art University.

Full Academy of Art University Engineering Technologies Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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