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2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

22 Ranked Colleges
2,867 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for General Civil Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 176 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,081 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Stanford

2

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 $48-$75k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 294 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley

3

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Civil Engineering Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 228 students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,193 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about General Civil Engineering at University of California - Davis

5

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 $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 95 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles General Civil Engineering Report

6

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 142 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 94%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at University of California - Irvine

7

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $8,030 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Full California State University - Fresno General Civil Engineering Report

8

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $11,189 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

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

9
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $22,826 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at USC

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,017 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State Fullerton General Civil Engineering Report

11

California State University - Sacramento ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 179 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $12,602 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State General Civil Engineering Report

12

With a ranking of #12, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 268 ’s general civil engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $15,958 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona General Civil Engineering Report

13

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general civil engineering degrees to 172 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #14, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 162 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,698 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Civil Engineering at San Diego State University

15

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 99 diplomas to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,780 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUN.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Civil Engineering at CSUN

16
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #16, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 169 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $17,338 for california general civil engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full San Jose State General Civil Engineering Report

17

California State University - Chico landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 78 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,738 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico General Civil Engineering Report

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 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. It costs about $16,065 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.

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%.

Full San Francisco State University General Civil Engineering Report

19
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $29,618 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 SCU

20
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #20, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified ’s general civil engineering students in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $25,553 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full California Baptist University General Civil Engineering Report

21
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 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 yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $25,543 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

22
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

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 $48-$75k list. Loyola Marymount is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s general civil engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $37,292 for California General Civil Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

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 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%.

Full Loyola Marymount University General Civil Engineering Report

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