2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California
24
Ranked Colleges
1,049
Degrees Awarded
$91,059
Avg Salary
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California” ranking - to help you make that 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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,049 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,735 and $51,649 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in mechanical engineering. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their mechanical engineering program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California” 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.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California”.
Top 24 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering in 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 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 94 masters’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Full Stanford Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.
Full Caltech Mechanical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Naval Postgraduate School. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. This small school is located in Monterey, California, and it awarded 27 masters’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Naval Postgraduate School
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 70 degrees to qualified masters’s me students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 278 masters’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
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 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
University of Southern California came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 102 masters’s me degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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. The undergrad 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 University of Southern California
With a ranking of #7, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Loyola Marymount University
San Jose State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 66 masters’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 89%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 82 masters’s me degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 55 masters’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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Santa Clara University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified masters’s me students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University
University of California - Merced ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. UC Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 masters’s 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%.
Full UC Merced Mechanical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 47 masters’s me degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Irvine
University of California - Riverside landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s me degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 - Riverside Mechanical Engineering Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 masters’s me degrees to qualified 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
University of California - Davis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 29 masters’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Davis
With a ranking of #17, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 2 masters’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%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California Baptist University
California State University - Long Beach came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 29 masters’s me degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Full CSULB Mechanical Engineering Report
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s me degrees to 8 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 more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #20, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s me degrees to 20 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at SDSU
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 23 masters’s me degrees to qualified students.
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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 21 masters’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 Cal State LA
California State University - Northridge ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees 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 CSUN
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on ME Major in California list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 13 masters’s me degrees 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCSB
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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
