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2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

30 Ranked Colleges
2,475 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Electrical Engineering is the 31st most popular major in the country with 30,670 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, electrical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $70,098 and had an average of $23,581 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,736 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $76,979 and $20,468 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 $0-$30k” ranking looked at 30 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Electrical Engineering Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

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%. 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%.

Full Stanford University 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 $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $5,456 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

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 $0-$30k. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 452 bachelors’s EE degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

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 $0-$30k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 155 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UCLA Electrical 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 #5 for the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s EE degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Cal State LA Electrical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 100 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at University of California - Irvine

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fresno State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 132 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Electrical Engineering at San Diego State University

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k 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 Electrical Engineering at California State University - Fullerton

University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 full report on Electrical Engineering at UCSD

California State University - Long Beach landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 169 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSULB

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at University of California - Riverside

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

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%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Electrical Engineering Report

California State University - Northridge landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #23 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSUN

#15

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at CSUB

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 96 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Electrical Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 115 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 Electrical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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 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 University of Southern California Electrical Engineering Report

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 also took the #20 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UC Santa Cruz Electrical Engineering Report

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #21, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students 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. It costs about $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $0-$30k 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 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 Electrical Engineering at San Jose State

#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 $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 California State University - Chico Electrical Engineering Report

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full San Francisco State University Electrical Engineering Report

#24

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $12,263 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Sonoma State University

#25

National University

La Jolla, California
#16 in overall quality

National University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $0-$30k list, National University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

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

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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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