by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2021-2022, 44,794 people earned their degree in mechanical engineering, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In , mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $68,989 and had an average of $22,844 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 5,039 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $73,918 and $19,633 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in mechanical engineering.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University Maritime Academy. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Cal Maritime is located in Vallejo, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 42 ’s me degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s me degrees to 50 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Merced. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 200 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.
Full University of California - Merced Mechanical Engineering Report
Out of the 30 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #4 spot on the list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 327 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 197 degrees to qualified ’s me students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 289 diplomas to qualified ’s me students in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 238 degrees to qualified ’s me students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - San Diego
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s me degrees to 326 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 186 diplomas to qualified ’s me students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
Santa Clara University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 77 ’s me degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 151 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 264 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of California - Davis ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 209 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Davis Mechanical Engineering Report
University of California - Berkeley landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s me degrees to 508 students in 2021-2022.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Loyola Marymount University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 38 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Loyola Marymount
California State University - Northridge ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 194 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 232 degrees to qualified ’s me students in 2021-2022.
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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 115 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Riverside Mechanical Engineering Report
University of San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. USD is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 61 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
California State University - Fullerton ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 148 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Long Beach ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 258 ’s me degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 87%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #22, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 49 degrees to qualified ’s me students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 272 degrees to qualified ’s me students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #24, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 72 ’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
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 more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Chico
Naval Postgraduate School landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Monterey, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s me degrees to 28 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Naval Postgraduate School Mechanical Engineering Report
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
