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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

47 Ranked Colleges
5,691 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in general mechanical engineering, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 7,340 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,691 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 47 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general mechanical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 54 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Stanford General Mechanical Engineering Report

#2

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 #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $5,456 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%. 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.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

#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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 177 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $8,392 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 124 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $7,850 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 137 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,553 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 University of California - Los Angeles General Mechanical Engineering Report

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 263 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UC Irvine General Mechanical Engineering Report

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 144 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $1,379 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k 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 General Mechanical Engineering at Cal State LA

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 231 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton General Mechanical Engineering Report

California State University - Fresno landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering 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 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 General Mechanical Engineering at Fresno State

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 306 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University

#5 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 308 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 193 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,364 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.

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

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at CSULB

#13

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#21 in overall quality

Washington State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 294 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

Wazzu not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $9,334 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering 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 Washington State University General Mechanical Engineering Report

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 226 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full CSUN General Mechanical Engineering Report

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 176 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis General Mechanical Engineering Report

#16

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 145 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,366 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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

Full University of California - Riverside General Mechanical Engineering Report

#13 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 179 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,280 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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

Full UCSD General Mechanical Engineering Report

#18

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 88 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $10,316 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.

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 General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 225 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $8,596 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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

Full Cal Poly Pomona General Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 204 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Mechanical Engineering Report

#8 in overall quality

California State University Maritime Academy came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Maritime is a public institution located in Vallejo, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Maritime also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $12,774 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University Maritime Academy.

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 General Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy

#22

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fairbanks, Alaska, this medium-sized public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general mechanical engineering students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Alaska Fairbanks is $7,133 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UAF

#23

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#18 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 193 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $10,940 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University

#24

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $14,668 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at USC

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $9,378 for far western us region bachelor’s degree general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

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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.

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