2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
28
Ranked Colleges
5,137
Degrees Awarded
$9,900
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
General Mechanical Engineering is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 5,137 general mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in general mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general mechanical engineering programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank General Mechanical Engineering Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 253 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Stanford General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 320 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 252 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 UCLA General Mechanical 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 General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 379 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,823 for california 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 94%. 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%.
Full University of California - San Diego General Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 274 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,006 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Davis
University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 359 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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 General Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Irvine
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 173 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $1,887 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 211 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Cal State Fullerton
With a ranking of #9, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 217 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,287 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at USC
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 321 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for California 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 94%. 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%.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #11, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 243 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,169 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at SDSU
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 234 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at CSUN
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 93 diplomas to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,568 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara General Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 194 degrees to qualified ’s general mechanical engineering students in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,663 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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.
Full California State University - Long Beach General Mechanical Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 247 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 229 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #17, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 144 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $6,810 for California 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 91%. 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 General Mechanical Engineering at UCR
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,859 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at Fresno State
San Jose State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 209 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $12,158 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full San Jose State General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $11,754 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on General Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Chico
University of California - Merced landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 171 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
UC Merced also made our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $10,363 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Merced.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 - Merced
California State University Maritime Academy landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University Maritime Academy is located in Vallejo, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees to qualified students.
Cal Maritime not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University Maritime Academy is $13,474 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about General Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy
Santa Clara University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 71 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, SCU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,428 for California General Mechanical Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Santa Clara University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full Santa Clara University General Mechanical Engineering Report
San Francisco State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $10,705 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 SFSU General Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #25, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 58 ’s general mechanical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best General Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $21,769 for california general mechanical engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Cal Baptist General Mechanical Engineering Report
