2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
22
Ranked Colleges
2,867
Degrees Awarded
$11,500
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Civil Engineering is the 41st most popular major in the country with 20,711 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 2,867 general civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in general civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general civil engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general civil 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The general civil engineering 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 General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 176 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Stanford University
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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 294 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,450 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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%. 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 General Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 155 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,037 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering 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 a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 228 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,006 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at University of California - Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.
Cal State LA also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,887 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Cal State LA
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 172 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,173 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo General Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 142 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,540 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
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 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%.
Full University of California - Irvine General Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #8, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 26 ’s general civil engineering 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 General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for california general civil engineering 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full USC General Civil Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 268 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $10,349 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona General Civil Engineering Report
California State University - Fresno came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 102 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,859 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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 General Civil Engineering at Fresno State
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 161 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,590 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
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 more about General Civil Engineering at Cal State Fullerton
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 171 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,663 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 General Civil Engineering at California State University - Long Beach
San Diego State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $7,169 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at SDSU
California State University - Sacramento ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 179 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for California General Civil Engineering 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 General Civil Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Northridge ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 99 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUN General Civil Engineering Report
San Jose State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 169 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,158 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at San Jose State
California State University - Chico landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 78 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,754 for California General Civil Engineering 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%.
Full California State University - Chico General Civil Engineering Report
San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 70 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $10,705 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University
With a ranking of #19, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,428 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SCU.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University
California Baptist University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,769 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Baptist University.
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 General Civil Engineering at Cal Baptist
University of the Pacific ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stockton, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pacific, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $22,792 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 87%.
Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of the Pacific
With a ranking of #22, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $32,730 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Full Loyola Marymount University General Civil Engineering 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
- *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
