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

22 Ranked Colleges
2,032 Degrees Awarded
$10,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Civil Engineering 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 was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 20,913 people earned their degree in general civil engineering, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 2,969 general civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,032 general civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in general civil engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general civil engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general civil engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Civil Engineering Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Civil Engineering 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 general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering 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. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Stanford

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 UC Berkeley General Civil Engineering Report

#8 in overall quality

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 General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 General Civil Engineering at UC Irvine

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering 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 public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 General Civil Engineering Report

#21 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 General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Civil Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 students.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at California State University - Fresno

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering 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 191 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at SDSU

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 113 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Cal State Fullerton

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 146 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at UC Davis

#3 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on General Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 127 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering 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 General Civil Engineering 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%.

Full CSULB General Civil Engineering Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 141 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 General Civil Engineering at California State University - Northridge

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Civil Engineering Report

#11 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 235 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about General Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#10 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 138 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University General Civil Engineering Report

#16

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of Southern California

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chico State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Chico State General Civil Engineering Report

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFSU General Civil Engineering Report

#19

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#13 in overall quality

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pacific has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $21,972 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Civil Engineering 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at University of the Pacific

#20

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#6 in overall quality

Santa Clara University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

SCU also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,356 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Santa Clara University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at SCU

#21

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#22 in overall quality

California Baptist University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general civil engineering students in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $20,277 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at California Baptist University

#22

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s general civil engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Loyola Marymount has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,367 for california bachelor’s degree general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at Loyola Marymount University

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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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