2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
28
Ranked Colleges
5,137
Degrees Awarded
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Mechanical Engineering is the 21st most popular major in the country with 46,178 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $69,007 and had an average of $23,944 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 5,137 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $73,918 and $19,735 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank 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 ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value 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 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 253 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $7,081 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 320 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 252 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 274 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full UC Davis Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 379 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,310 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Irvine landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 359 diplomas to qualified ’s ME students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 more about Mechanical Engineering at UC Irvine
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 173 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Cal State LA also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $5,700 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cal State LA
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 211 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,017 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Northridge ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 234 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,780 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full CSUN Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 217 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $22,826 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Full USC Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 194 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,189 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #12, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 243 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SDSU
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 93 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #10 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,583 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #14, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 247 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #13 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,958 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 144 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCR has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,126 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCR
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 321 students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #8 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 229 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $12,602 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Fresno landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,030 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Fresno State
San Jose State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 209 students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,338 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State
California State University - Chico ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,738 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Chico State Mechanical Engineering Report
Santa Clara University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 71 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SCU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $29,618 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full SCU Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Merced ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 171 students in 2020-2021.
UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $14,261 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced
With a ranking of #23, California State University Maritime Academy did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Vallejo, California, and it awarded 19 ’s ME degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california me students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Maritime has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University Maritime Academy is $18,885 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy
With a ranking of #24, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ME degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,065 for california me students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SFSU
California Baptist University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value ME Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s ME degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in California” list. It costs about $25,553 for California ME students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Baptist.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal Baptist
