2023 Best Value Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California
28
Ranked Colleges
4,697
Degrees Awarded
$10,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Electrical Engineering is the 39th most popular major in the country with 28,844 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, electrical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $74,380 and had an average of $24,114 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 4,697 electrical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $83,119 and $20,327 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.
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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,581 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Stanford University
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. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 730 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,999 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
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. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 367 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,891 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCLA Electrical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 410 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,176 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSD.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at UCSD
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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,701 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Cal State LA
With a ranking of #6, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 630 ’s EE degrees to qualified students.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,345 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 91%. The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at USC
University of California - Irvine landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 149 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 full report on Electrical Engineering at University of California - Irvine
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, 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, CSULB has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,573 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSULB
University of California - Davis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 69 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $11,598 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Davis Electrical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #10, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 165 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
California State University - Fresno ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 19 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,655 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Fresno State Electrical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,821 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - Fullerton Electrical Engineering Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified ’s EE students in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,193 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.
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 2.3% 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 - Riverside
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 152 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,606 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 91%. 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 full report on Electrical Engineering at UCSB
California State University - Sacramento ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Sac State Electrical Engineering Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 98 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ee students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $7,103 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at CSUN
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 145 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $9,274 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at SDSU
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s EE degrees to 161 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for California 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 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%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Jose State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 286 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $13,378 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at San Jose State
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 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 University of California - Santa Cruz is $12,049 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 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Electrical Engineering Report
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the 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 California State University - Bakersfield.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at CSUB
Santa Clara University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 20 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $23,508 for California EE students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Santa Clara University.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Electrical Engineering at SCU
California State University - Chico came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value EE Schools 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 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Electrical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $13,040 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Chico State Electrical Engineering Report
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 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
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value EE Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 44 ’s EE degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,862 for california ee students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Electrical Engineering at SFSU
