Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Civil Engineering

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

21 Ranked Colleges
1,002 Degrees Awarded
$26,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 21,561 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 45th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $60,122 and had an average of $23,807 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,291 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,300 and $21,468 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,002 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in civil engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great civil engineering programs and cost less that 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

The civil eng 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 Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 21 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s civil eng degrees to 177 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Stanford

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 Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 227 diplomas to qualified masters’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

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 for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 16 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Civil Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 32 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - Irvine

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Fullerton ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 51 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Cal State Fullerton Civil Engineering Report

#8

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

California Institute of Technology ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California Institute of Technology are $56,649.

Full California Institute of Technology Civil Engineering Report

University of California - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 53 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - San Diego are $28,631.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UCSD

California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 25 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784.

Full California State University - Long Beach Civil Engineering Report

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 masters’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955.

Full CSUN Civil Engineering Report

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 76 degrees to qualified masters’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UC Davis

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658.

Full San Diego State University Civil Engineering Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 36 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #8 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $21,009, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#15

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified masters’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Southern California

California State University - Sacramento came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 masters’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Sac State are $18,356, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Sac State Civil Engineering Report

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s 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 masters’s civil eng degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State are $18,790, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full San Jose State University Civil Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 29 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree civil eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona are $18,377, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#19

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. SCU is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SCU are $23,507.

Full SCU Civil Engineering Report

#20

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. Average graduate tuition and fees at California Baptist University are $14,140, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Cal Baptist

#21

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Loyola Marymount University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 7 masters’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Civil Engineering Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola Marymount University are $19,756, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Loyola Marymount University Civil Engineering Report

Switch to a Similar Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Engineering Schools

Find Schools Near You