by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 17 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Civil Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 962 master's degrees in civil engineering to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The civil eng master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality civil eng program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for civil engineering students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Civil Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for civil engineering students seeking a a master's degree.
Stanford University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in civil engineering. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Master's students who receive their degree from the civil eng program make around $83,740 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in civil engineering from Stanford University
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in civil engineering. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's recipients from the civil engineering program at University of Southern California earn $4,423 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in civil engineering from University of Southern California
It's hard to beat University of California - Davis if you wish to pursue a master's degree in civil engineering. UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Davis.
Students who graduate with their master's from the civil eng program report average early career earnings of $86,909.
More information about a master’s in civil engineering from University of California - Davis
University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in civil engineering. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in civil engineering from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Master's recipients from the civil engineering program at University of California - San Diego make $2,941 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in civil engineering from University of California - San Diego
UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Master's students who receive their degree from the civil eng program earn about $81,415 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in civil engineering from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in civil engineering from University of California - Irvine
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Soon after graduation, civil eng master's recipients usually make around $85,887 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the civil eng program report average early career wages of $86,359.
More information about a master’s in civil engineering from San Diego State University
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in civil engineering from Loyola Marymount University
Explore all the Best Civil Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 183 | 178 |
| Oregon | 158 | 77 |
| Nevada | 105 | 40 |
| Hawaii | 85 | 19 |
| Alaska | 52 | 11 |
One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Civil Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Civil Engineering | 781 |
| Structural Engineering | 96 |
| Civil Engineering | 56 |
| Trasportation Engineering | 26 |
| Water Resources Engineering | 2 |
| Geoenvironmental Engineering | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | 1,742 |
| Computer Engineering | 1,245 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 1,131 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 538 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 355 |
| Other Engineering | 353 |
| Operations Research | 306 |
| General Engineering | 291 |
| Systems Engineering | 291 |
| Materials Engineering | 228 |
