by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 22 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 7,940 master's degrees in engineering to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The engineering master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for engineering students working on their master's degree.
The engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in engineering.
Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in engineering. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from Stanford University
Santa Clara University is a great option for individuals interested in a master's degree in engineering. SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara.More information about a master’s in engineering from Santa Clara University
University of California - Berkeley is a great option for students interested in a master's degree in engineering. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of California - Berkeley
University of Southern California is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in engineering. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of Southern California
UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of California - San Diego
UC Davis is a very large public university located in the suburb of Davis.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of California - Davis
Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of California - Irvine
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a master’s in engineering from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a master’s in engineering from University of California - Santa Barbara
Explore all the Best Engineering Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 31 | 763 |
| Oregon | 29 | 445 |
| Hawaii | 27 | 50 |
| Nevada | 27 | 116 |
| Alaska | 21 | 29 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | 1,742 |
| Computer Engineering | 1,245 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 1,131 |
| Civil Engineering | 962 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 538 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 355 |
| Other Engineering | 353 |
| Operations Research | 306 |
| General Engineering | 291 |
| Systems Engineering | 291 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 1,608 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 1,435 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 914 |
| Physical Sciences | 879 |
| Engineering Technologies | 690 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 458 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 166 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 152 |
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