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2023 Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

28 Ranked Colleges
4,553 Degrees Awarded
$10,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 28,166 people earned their degree in electrical engineering, making the major the 30th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 4,553 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in electrical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great electrical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the electrical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. 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 EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value EE 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, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s EE degrees to 259 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,581 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 University Electrical Engineering Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 729 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

3

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 360 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,891 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UCLA

4

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 289 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - San Diego

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 118 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $2,701 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 630 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,345 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The undergraduate 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.

Full USC Electrical Engineering Report

7

University of California - Irvine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 149 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for California EE 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UC Irvine

8

California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 165 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,573 for California EE 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at CSULB

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 69 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #9 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $11,598 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full UC Davis Electrical Engineering Report

10

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 165 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 87%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

11

California State University - Fresno ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,655 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at California State University - Fresno

12

California State University - Fullerton came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 73 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Electrical Engineering Report

13

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.

UCR also took the #17 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,193 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Riverside

14

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 152 students in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,606 for California EE 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Electrical Engineering Report

15

California State University - Sacramento landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 113 diplomas to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,055 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Electrical Engineering Report

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 98 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #20 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,103 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSUN

17
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 145 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,274 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full SDSU Electrical Engineering Report

18

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 161 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,194 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 94%.

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

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 286 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $13,378 for California EE 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 2.9% 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 more about Electrical Engineering at San Jose State University

20

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 78 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $12,049 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Santa Cruz

21

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 24 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,046 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUB.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Electrical Engineering Report

22
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s EE degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $23,508 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at SCU

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE 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 EE degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $13,040 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full Chico State Electrical Engineering Report

24
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.

SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $13,983 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Sonoma State University Electrical Engineering Report

25
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #25, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,862 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at SFSU

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