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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

30 Ranked Colleges
2,475 Degrees Awarded
Best Value EE 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 EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 29,892 people earned their degree in electrical engineering, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 4,610 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,475 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in electrical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent electrical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the electrical engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Electrical Engineering Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) 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 EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Stanford Electrical Engineering Report

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #3 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $8,042 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Caltech

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 452 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 155 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about Electrical Engineering at UCLA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 110 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State LA.

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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 full report on Electrical Engineering at Fresno State

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 159 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE 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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Electrical Engineering Report

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 100 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Irvine

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 74 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree ee 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 Electrical Engineering at California State University - Fullerton

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 169 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Electrical Engineering at CSULB

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 73 bachelors’s EE degrees to qualified students.

UCR also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Electrical Engineering at University of California - Riverside

#6 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 full report on Electrical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#13

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#10 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at UCSB

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 85 bachelors’s EE degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Electrical Engineering Report

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#13 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 132 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at SDSU

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUB.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSUB

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 more about Electrical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento

#14 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 115 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Electrical Engineering Report

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 60 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #4 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,050 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Southern California.

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 student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full USC Electrical Engineering Report

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 58 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#15 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 96 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 University Electrical Engineering Report

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chico State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at California State University - Chico

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at SFSU

#24

National University

La Jolla, California
#16 in overall quality

National University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full National University Electrical Engineering Report

#25

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #25, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $17,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Electrical Engineering at SSU

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.

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