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Best Engineering Schools in California

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2023 Best Engineering Schools in California

23 Colleges
$72,831 Avg Salary
$20,014 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Engineering School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, engineering was ranked 4th in California. In fact, 9,121 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Grad Degree Search has created its Best Engineering Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Engineering Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for engineering majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Engineering Schools

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for engineering students who want to pursue a degree in California. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.

Read full report on Engineering at Stanford University

#2

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Clara University landed the # 2 spot on the list. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Santa Clara.

Full Engineering at Santa Clara University Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for engineering students. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.

Read full report on Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Engineering Schools in California list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Read full report on Engineering at University of Southern California

Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for engineering students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.

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With a ranking of #7, San Jose State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for engineering students. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.

Read full report on Engineering at San Jose State University

University of California - San Diego came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Engineering Schools in California ranking. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.

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#9

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA

With a ranking of #9, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on this year’s best schools for engineering students. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

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University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for engineering students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Engineering at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

Best Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 939
Oregon 555
Nevada 169
Hawaii 63
Alaska 32

Engineering Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 11,021
Mechanical Engineering 9,007
Civil Engineering 6,042
Computer Engineering 5,557
Biomedical Engineering 4,252
General Engineering 3,548
Systems Engineering 3,068
Industrial Engineering 3,028
Chemical Engineering 2,662
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 2,375
Other Engineering 1,820
Materials Engineering 1,810
Operations Research 1,191
Electrical and Computer Engineering. 928
Environmental Engineering 919
Robotics Engineering 560
Engineering Science 451
Nuclear Engineering 437
Manufacturing Engineering 423
Petroleum Engineering 401
Agricultural Engineering 332
Construction Engineering 288
Engineering Physics 286
Architectural Engineering 243
Geoscience Engineering 173
Polymer & Plastics Engineering 167
Engineering Mechanics 144
Mining Engineering 132
Ocean Engineering 112
Textile Engineering 96
Biological Engineering 80
Energy Systems Engineering 79
Marine Engineering 44
Metallurgical Engineering 40
Biochemical Engineering 21
Ceramic Engineering 20
Electromechanical Engineering 16
Surveying Engineering 11
Paper Science & Engineering 7

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer & Information Sciences 60,971
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 28,851
Mathematics & Statistics 15,127
Physical Sciences 12,705
Engineering Technologies 7,672

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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