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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California

29 Ranked Colleges
2,475 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 30,670 people earned their degree in electrical engineering, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States. 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in electrical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality electrical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the electrical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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

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

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at Stanford University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 452 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s 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. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 155 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 UCLA

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

#5

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $3,756 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 full report on Electrical Engineering at Caltech

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. 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.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 100 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #11 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.3% 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 University of California - Irvine

California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 74 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on Electrical Engineering at California State University - Fullerton

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 169 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Electrical Engineering Report

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 132 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 Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Electrical Engineering at SDSU

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 159 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full UCSD Electrical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at California State University - Northridge

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Electrical Engineering Report

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 73 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree 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 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 more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Riverside

#15

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UCSB

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSUB

California State University - Sacramento ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento

#18

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 60 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $16,252 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at University of Southern California

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 115 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #14 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,630 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 58 bachelors’s EE degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at University of California - Santa Cruz

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. 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. It costs about $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $30-$48k 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 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 came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $11,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree EE students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SFSU 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.

The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Electrical Engineering at SFSU

#24

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s EE degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $13,248 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Electrical Engineering at SSU

#25

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#7 in overall quality

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value EE Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s EE students in 2019-2020.

SCU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SCU is $18,949 for california bachelor’s degree ee students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Santa Clara University

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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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