2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 225 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,544 and $133,402 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in mechanical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured Math, Science & Engineering schools near Columbus, OH edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Doctorate 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california doctor’s degree me students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 12 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.
Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Caltech are $56,649, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 28 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s ME degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700.
University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s ME students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 19 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Riverside came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 13 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UCR also took the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 6 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCSB are $28,670.
With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 13 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of Southern California Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Merced came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s ME degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Merced are $43,854.
Full University of California - Merced Mechanical Engineering Report
Santa Clara University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 1 doctorate’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.
SCU also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at Santa Clara University are $23,507, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University
Narrow Results by State
- Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k)
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Agricultural Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Chemical Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Computer Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Engineering Mechanics
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics (Income $48-$75k) in California
Engineering Science
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science (Income $48-$75k) in California
Materials Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Petroleum Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Industrial Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Operations Research
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Operations Research (Income $48-$75k) in California
Other Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Biomedical Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Civil Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Electrical Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Engineering Physics
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics (Income $48-$75k) in California
Environmental Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Nuclear Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Systems Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Manufacturing Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Biological Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Mechanical Engineering Doctor's Degree Schools in California
Mechanical Engineering students in the state of California
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California
Mechanical Engineering students in California
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Online Mechanical Engineering Schools
Mechanical Engineering students in California
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in California
Mechanical Engineering students with family income less than $30k in California
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in California
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $48-$75k in California
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California
Mechanical Engineering students with family income exceeding $110k in California
Highest Paid Doctor's Degree Mechanical Engineering Graduates in California
Mechanical Engineering students in California
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California
Mechanical Engineering students in California
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California (With Aid)
Mechanical Engineering students getting aid in California
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in California
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $30-$48k in California
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income $75-$110k) in California
Mechanical Engineering students with family income $75-$110k in California
Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.
Featured Engineering Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© 2025 College Factual – All Rights Reserved.