Best Chemical Engineering Programs in California (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in California
This page ranks the 12 Chemical Engineering programs in California by median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of California-Berkeley leads the list at $121,027, followed by University of California-Santa Barbara at $113,317 and University of California-Los Angeles at $108,066.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $99,151, with a range from $121,027 to $55,512. For 2 of the 12 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list is predominantly public: 10 of the 12 schools are public institutions, alongside 2 private nonprofit programs. California State University-Long Beach posts the lowest average net price on the page at $10,440.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $121,027 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley reports $121,027 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, and ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 2 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $113,317 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| With an admission rate of 33%, University of California-Santa Barbara posts $113,317 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $108,066 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles shows median earnings of $108,066 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,548. | |||||
| 4 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $102,849 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $102,849 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $102,649 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis reports median federal debt of $15,750 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed, and median earnings of $102,649 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $100,646 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, University of Southern California lists an average net price of $32,740 and median earnings of $100,646 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $97,656 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine admits 29% of applicants and reports median earnings of $97,656 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $96,798 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| Median earnings for Chemical Engineering graduates of University of California-San Diego reach $96,798 four years after completing, and the school ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 9 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $92,523 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach posts an average net price of $10,440 and median earnings of $92,523 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $91,744 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| Stanford University admits 4% of applicants, and its Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $91,744 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $91,457 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside reports median federal debt of $17,182 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $91,457 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $55,512 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University ranks 23rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $55,512 four years after completing. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 2 of the 12 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked University of California-Berkeley and second-ranked University of California-Santa Barbara is $7,710, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $65,515.
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