2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
23
Ranked Colleges
3,389
Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 $48-$75k” 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s CE degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Computer Engineering Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s CE degrees to 330 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,275 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at UC Irvine
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 225 degrees to qualified ’s CE students in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,310 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at UCSD
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - 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.
In addition to being on our california ce students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,193 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 892 degrees to qualified ’s CE students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $17,338 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at San Jose State University
With a ranking of #6, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 University of Southern California is $22,826 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at USC
California State University - Fullerton landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s CE degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,017 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - Fullerton Computer Engineering Report
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 106 degrees to qualified ’s CE students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #9 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Santa Cruz
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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.
SDSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Computer Engineering at San Diego State University
University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #14 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,126 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at UCR
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 158 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $17,340 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Computer Engineering Report
California State University - Fresno ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 17 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $8,030 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at Fresno State
California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,602 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 more about Computer Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 60 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,780 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at CSUN
California State University - Long Beach came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $11,189 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Computer Engineering at CSULB
With a ranking of #16, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 62 degrees to qualified ’s CE students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ce students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSB Computer Engineering Report
With a ranking of #17, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 99 degrees to qualified ’s CE students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $15,958 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Computer Engineering Report
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 37 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $9,854 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 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%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at CSUSB
With a ranking of #19, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 211 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ce students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Merced has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $14,261 for california ce students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Computer Engineering at University of California - Merced
Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Santa Clara University 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Clara University is $29,618 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 SCU
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s CE students in 2020-2021.
CSUB also made our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $9,102 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Computer Engineering at California State University - Bakersfield
San Francisco State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 41 ’s CE degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $16,065 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full San Francisco State University Computer Engineering Report
California Baptist University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value CE Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s CE degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Computer Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $25,553 for California CE students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Computer Engineering at Cal Baptist
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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
- *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.
