Best value colleges for Mechanical Engineering in California.2026 Rankings
With 30 Mechanical Engineering programs spread across California, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
California offers 21 public and 9 private Mechanical Engineering programs in this ranking. Public universities average $24,417 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — California Institute of Technology (Caltech) — accepts 3% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Mechanical Engineering graduates average $41,075, with a state-wide graduation rate of 75% for ranked programs.
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ranked by value score
| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perfect· 57 | 3% | 93% | $7,003 | $102,669 | 3:1 | 26 | 1,023 | |
| 2 | Stanford UniversityPrivate | Perfect· 54 | 4% | 93% | $1,323 | $89,527 | 6:1 | 49 | 7,841 |
| 3 | Excellent· 45 | 10% | 92% | $18,993 | $83,356 | 9:1 | 83 | 20,817 | |
| 4 | Excellent· 43 | 30% | 85% | $11,372 | $83,011 | 18:1 | 78 | 21,521 | |
| 5 | Great· 41 | 42% | 85% | $12,304 | $75,231 | 21:1 | 91 | 31,777 | |
| 6 | Great· 41 | 25% | 88% | $10,389 | $69,555 | 19:1 | 71 | 33,787 | |
| 7 | Great· 41 | 28% | 85% | $11,398 | $81,108 | 17:1 | 53 | 23,205 | |
| 8 | University of San DiegoPrivate | Great· 41 | 47% | 82% | $19,998 | $77,962 | 14:1 | 43 | 5,619 |
| 9 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 44% | 88% | $41,599 | $81,865 | 10:1 | 45 | 6,235 |
| 10 | Great· 40 | 12% | 93% | $11,424 | $88,497 | 18:1 | 80 | 33,073 | |
| 11 | Great· 40 | 26% | 86% | $11,769 | $67,633 | 18:1 | 71 | 29,494 | |
| 12 | Great· 40 | 9% | 93% | $11,065 | $79,016 | 18:1 | 75 | 33,040 | |
| 13 | Great· 38 | 47% | 70% | $9,063 | $60,996 | 19:1 | 84 | 34,131 | |
| 14 | Great· 38 | 63% | 77% | $12,449 | $62,554 | 23:1 | 60 | 22,644 | |
| 15 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 40% | 80% | $32,869 | $60,798 | 11:1 | 50 | 7,171 |
| 16 | Strong· 36 | 34% | 78% | $14,205 | $69,754 | 22:1 | 79 | 33,654 | |
| 17 | Strong· 35 | 39% | 69% | $11,594 | $67,096 | 21:1 | 27 | 8,372 | |
| 18 | Strong· 34 | 80% | 65% | $12,948 | $58,993 | 18:1 | 90 | 26,757 | |
| 19 | Good· 33 | 74% | 67% | $11,196 | $75,040 | 23:1 | 60 | 24,271 | |
| 20 | Good· 33 | 87% | 69% | $5,438 | $65,252 | 22:1 | 60 | 36,956 | |
| 21 | Good· 32 | 96% | 55% | $7,220 | $65,938 | 18:1 | 83 | 21,070 | |
| 22 | Good· 32 | 92% | 53% | $5,373 | $55,405 | 19:1 | 61 | 21,478 | |
| 23 | Good· 32 | 99% | 67% | $16,648 | $92,315 | 10:1 | 7 | 761 | |
| 24 | Good· 31 | 96% | 50% | $12,916 | $72,647 | 16:1 | 86 | 20,033 | |
| 25 | University of the PacificPrivate | Good· 31 | 95% | 68% | $20,169 | $76,785 | 14:1 | 55 | 3,247 |
| 26 | Good· 30 | 94% | 64% | $13,937 | $73,297 | 20:1 | 83 | 13,057 | |
| 27 | Good· 30 | 93% | 56% | $8,897 | $71,359 | 21:1 | 76 | 32,357 | |
| 28 | Good· 30 | 94% | 56% | $10,861 | $66,462 | 21:1 | 58 | 27,867 | |
| 29 | Average· 28 | 74% | 60% | $23,799 | $72,224 | 20:1 | 78 | 7,914 | |
| 30 | Art Center College of DesignPrivate | Average· 27 | 75% | 83% | $46,301 | $59,384 | 8:1 | 8 | 2,054 |