2023 Best Value Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
23
Ranked Colleges
3,389
Degrees Awarded
$10,100
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 17,987 people earned their degree in computer engineering, making the major the 56th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, computer engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $73,143 and had an average of $24,685 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 3,389 computer engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $78,872 and $20,954 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in computer engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality computer engineering 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 computer engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Computer Engineering Schools
The ce school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california ce students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 96%.
Full UCLA Computer Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 225 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
UCSD also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,823 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCSD Computer Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 330 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $6,540 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Irvine
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,006 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Davis Computer Engineering Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 892 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ce students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $12,158 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full San Jose State University Computer Engineering Report
University of Southern California ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 107 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at University of Southern California
With a ranking of #7, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 158 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #6 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,173 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Computer Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 138 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ce students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Computer Engineering at California State University - Fullerton
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 92 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for California CE 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at San Diego State University
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s CE degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,038 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Computer Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 99 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Computer Engineering Report
California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 76 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 60 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 full report on Computer Engineering at CSUN
University of California - Riverside ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s CE degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #14 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at University of California - Riverside
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 62 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCSB Computer Engineering Report
California State University - Fresno landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 17 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at Fresno State
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
CSULB also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $6,663 for California CE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - Long Beach Computer Engineering Report
University of California - Merced landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 211 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Merced also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $10,363 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Merced Computer Engineering Report
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 37 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,985 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Computer Engineering Report
Santa Clara University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SCU is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 251 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
SCU also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $26,428 for california ce students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Computer Engineering at Santa Clara University
