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2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

23 Ranked Colleges
2,147 Degrees Awarded
$20,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $10,631 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Stanford University Civil Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 59 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also took the #22 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $9,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Civil Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $11,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 full report on Civil Engineering at Fresno State

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 113 degrees to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,916 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 University - Fullerton

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s civil eng degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $17,622 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 Civil Engineering at University of California - Davis

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 127 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #17 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $14,544 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $19,590 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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

Full University of California - Los Angeles Civil Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 235 bachelors’s civil eng degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $17,944 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Civil Engineering Report

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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 $21,401 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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 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 University of California - Berkeley

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 159 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $22,585 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 141 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $15,346 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 191 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $18,766 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at SDSU

California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $15,812 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 State University - Sacramento Civil Engineering Report

University of California - Irvine came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 93 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,851 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UC Irvine

University of California - San Diego landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $20,205 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Civil Engineering Report

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #16, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 138 bachelors’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $19,805 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at San Jose State

California State University - Chico landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 57 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $19,444 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Chico State Civil Engineering Report

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #18, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $21,027 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at SFSU

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $30,858 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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 91%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Civil Engineering at USC

#20

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California

University of the Pacific came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific also made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $30,956 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of the Pacific.

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

#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 $75-$110k 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 made our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $31,362 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SCU Civil Engineering Report

#22

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Civil Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s civil eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $26,285 for california bachelor’s degree civil eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 $75-$110k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s civil eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $40,964 for California Bachelor’s Degree Civil Eng students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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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