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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California

53 Ranked Colleges
14,883 Degrees Awarded
$65,674 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 192,474 degrees handed out in 2021-2022, engineering is the 7th most popular major in the United States. In , engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $68,641 and had an average of $23,252 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 24,454 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,831 and $21,118 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 14,883 engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,904 and $19,503 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree in engineering. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their engineering program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California”.

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 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering in California

1
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvey Mudd College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Engineering at Harvey Mudd College

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 1,142 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 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Engineering Report

3

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 for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California. University of California - Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 465 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified 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%.

Read more about Engineering at UC Merced

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,113 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Engineering Report

5

Out of the 53 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern California Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. Southern California Institute of Technology is a small private for-profit school situated in Anaheim, California. It awarded 21 bachelors’s engineering 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%.

Full Southern California Institute of Technology Engineering Report

6

California Institute of Technology came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 65 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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.

Read full report on Engineering at Caltech

7

California State University Maritime Academy landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. Vallejo, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 42 students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Engineering at Cal Maritime

8
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 857 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full San Jose State Engineering Report

9

University of California - San Diego landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 1,031 bachelors’s engineering degrees 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Engineering Report

10

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 1,106 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering at UC Irvine

11

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 850 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis Engineering Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,154 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

13
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 194 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SCU Engineering Report

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #14, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 801 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 Engineering at San Diego State University

15

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 748 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

16

University of California - Riverside came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 386 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

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 88%.

Read full report on Engineering at UCR

17

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 477 bachelors’s engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Engineering Report

18
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 261 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at Stanford University

19

California State University - Chico came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 234 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering at Chico State

20

With a ranking of #20, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 730 bachelors’s engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

21

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 257 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles

22
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 126 degrees to qualified bachelors’s engineering 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%.

Full California Baptist University Engineering Report

23
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s engineering degrees to 140 students 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering at University of San Diego

24

California State University - Northridge came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 383 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering 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 Engineering at California State University - Northridge

25

California State University - Fullerton came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Engineering Major in California ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 374 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s engineering students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Engineering Report

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