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2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

29 Ranked Colleges
4,047 Degrees Awarded
$61,746 Avg Salary
Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 47,598 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,495 and had an average of $23,104 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 5,259 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,612 and $20,850 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,047 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great 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 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 Mechanical Engineering Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #3 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $8,042 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Caltech

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 ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 96%.

Full UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering Report

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 137 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Mechanical Engineering Report

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 144 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 86 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Fresno State

California State University - Fullerton landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 231 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 263 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #11 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full UC Irvine Mechanical Engineering Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 308 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

University of California - Davis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 176 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 UC Davis Mechanical Engineering Report

California State University - Long Beach ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 193 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSULB has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

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

Full CSULB Mechanical Engineering Report

University of California - San Diego came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 179 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCSD

California State University - Northridge came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 226 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at CSUN

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 145 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Mechanical Engineering Report

#15

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 88 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCSB

#16

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #16, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 306 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University

California State University - Sacramento landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 204 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

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 Sac State Mechanical Engineering Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 225 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

California State University Maritime Academy came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University Maritime Academy is a small public school situated in Vallejo, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Maritime did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Maritime is $18,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy

#20

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 96 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k list, USC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $20,050 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at USC

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 193 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State

California State University - Chico came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Chico State

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 146 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,922 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Merced.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at San Francisco State University

#25

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #25, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,848 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SCU.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Mechanical 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.

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