2023 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California
23
Ranked Colleges
3,198
Degrees Awarded
$12,200
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 Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 21,388 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 50th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 3,198 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $68,987 and $19,554 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in civil engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 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.
More Ways to Rank Civil Engineering Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 176 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,581 for california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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%. 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.
Full Stanford 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 Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 294 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for California Civil Eng 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 160 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,891 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at UCLA
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 192 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - San Diego
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 243 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,598 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Civil Engineering at University of California - Davis
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also took the #20 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,701 for california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.
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%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $4,655 for california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Fresno State
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 142 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,449 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of California - Irvine Civil Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 268 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,992 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Civil Engineering Report
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 171 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #15 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 89%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Civil Engineering Report
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 161 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for california civil eng 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 2.5% 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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Cal State Fullerton
California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 179 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,055 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Civil Engineering at Sac State
University of Southern California came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,345 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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%. 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.
Read more about Civil Engineering at USC
With a ranking of #14, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 162 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $9,274 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at SDSU
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 214 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,194 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Civil Engineering Report
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $7,103 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUN Civil Engineering Report
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 169 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $13,378 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Jose State
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 78 students in 2020-2021.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $13,040 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Chico State
Santa Clara University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 24 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $23,508 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SCU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University
San Francisco State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,862 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University
California Baptist University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 41 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $22,162 for california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at California Baptist University
With a ranking of #22, University of the Pacific did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 18 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $23,162 for California Civil Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 full report on Civil Engineering at Pacific
Loyola Marymount University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 36 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount also took the #10 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $31,985 for california civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Civil Engineering at Loyola Marymount
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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
