2023 Best Value Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California
22
Ranked Colleges
2,867
Degrees Awarded
$12,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 20,711 people earned their degree in general civil engineering, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States.
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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in general civil engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general civil engineering programs, but they also cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 $30-$48k”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 176 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,581 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Stanford General Civil Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 155 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,891 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles General Civil Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 228 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $11,598 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full University of California - Davis General Civil Engineering Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,701 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 State LA
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 102 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,655 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.
Full Fresno State General Civil Engineering Report
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 142 ’s general civil engineering degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $8,449 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at University of California - Irvine
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 took the #10 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,992 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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
California State University - Long Beach came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 171 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,573 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about General Civil Engineering at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Fullerton came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 161 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Sacramento came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 179 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on General Civil Engineering at Sac State
With a ranking of #12, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and 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. It costs about $17,345 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Southern California.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The impressive undergraduate 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. 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%.
Full USC General Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #13, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 172 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 162 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $9,274 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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%.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at San Diego State University
California State University - Northridge came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 99 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $7,103 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,378 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full San Jose State University General Civil Engineering Report
California State University - Chico came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $13,040 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Civil Engineering at California State University - Chico
Santa Clara University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Santa Clara University 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.
In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, SCU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $23,508 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about General Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University
San Francisco State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $11,862 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 General Civil Engineering at SFSU
California Baptist University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 41 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. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $22,162 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Civil Engineering at Cal Baptist
University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 18 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Pacific also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $23,162 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of the Pacific
Loyola Marymount University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 35 students 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 is $31,985 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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
- *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
