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2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

23 Ranked Colleges
2,147 Degrees Awarded
$62,167 Avg Salary
Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Civil Engineering is the 45th most popular major in the country with 21,561 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,147 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 23 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

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 Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Stanford

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 59 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Fresno State

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 146 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Davis

University of California - Irvine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 93 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Irvine

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Cal State Fullerton

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 159 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #3 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 127 degrees to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSD Civil Engineering Report

California State University - Northridge ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

CSUN also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at California State University - Northridge

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 191 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at San Diego State University

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 174 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 235 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 138 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

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 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%.

Full San Jose State Civil Engineering Report

#17

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Southern California.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USC Civil Engineering Report

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Chico State

#19

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, SFSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SFSU Civil Engineering Report

#20

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California

University of the Pacific landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Pacific is $26,047 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Pacific

#21

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,848 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Santa Clara University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at SCU

#22

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $23,255 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full California Baptist University Civil Engineering Report

#23

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, Loyola Marymount has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $34,284 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Loyola Marymount 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

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.

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