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2025 Best Systems Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California

4 Colleges in California
291 Master's Degrees
$118,363 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your master's degree in systems engineering, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #67 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 4 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Systems Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 291 master's degrees in systems engineering during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Systems Engineering School for Your Master's Degree

Best Systems Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California The systems engineering master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality systems engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

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 systems engineering students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Systems Engineering Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Systems Engineering Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The systems 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 Systems Engineering Master's Degree Schools in California.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Systems Engineering in California

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for systems engineering students seeking a a master's degree.

Top California Schools for a Master's in Systems Engineering

1

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in systems engineering needs to look into University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Soon after graduating, systems engineering master's recipients usually make an average of $118,363 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in systems engineering from University of Southern California

2
22 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of California - San Diego if you wish to pursue a master's degree in systems engineering. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in systems engineering from University of California - San Diego

3
10 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Loyola Marymount University if you want to pursue a master's degree in systems engineering. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in systems engineering from Loyola Marymount University

4
16 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat California State Polytechnic University - Pomona if you want to pursue a master's degree in systems engineering. Located in the large suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in systems engineering from California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Best Systems Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Systems Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 183 0
Oregon 158 10

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One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Systems Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

Systems Engineering Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Systems Engineering 291

Related 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
Materials Engineering 228

Notes and References

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