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

14 Ranked Colleges
884 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Chemical Engineering is the 53rd most popular major in the country with 13,314 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 1,177 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 884 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in chemical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great chemical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools

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 Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 9 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $5,456 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Chemical Engineering Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 112 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 74 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Chemical Engineering Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of California - Irvine

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Chemical Engineering at UCR

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at CSULB

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 111 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UC Davis

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 105 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Chemical Engineering at UCSD

#10 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng 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 79 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at USC

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#12 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Jose State Chemical Engineering Report

#14

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $20,277 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical 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

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.

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