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# Best Civil Engineering Programs in California (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in California](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-california/)

This page ranks the 22 Civil Engineering programs in California by median earnings of Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) leads the list at $108,548, followed by [University of Southern California](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/) at $106,308 and [Santa Clara University](/school/santa-clara-university/majors/) at $105,594.

Across the listed schools, the median figure is $95,860, with a spread of $33,703 from $108,548 to $74,845.

Public institutions account for 17 of the 22 programs, or 77%. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.

California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.

## The ranked list

22 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $108,548 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
|  | [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) reports [median earnings of $108,548](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $106,308 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, [University of Southern California](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/) [admits 10% of applicants](/school/university-of-southern-california/admissions/) and its Civil Engineering graduates earn a median of $106,308 four years after completing. |
| 3 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $105,594 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
|  | [Santa Clara University](/school/santa-clara-university/majors/) ranks 3rd on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $19,162](/school/santa-clara-university/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 4 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $103,223 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
|  | With an [average net price of $32,268](/school/loyola-marymount-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000, [Loyola Marymount University](/school/loyola-marymount-university/majors/) posts median earnings of $103,223 for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $101,072 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
|  | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) [ranks 58th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $101,072 for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $97,790 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
|  | Admitting 75% of applicants, [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) reports a [median federal debt of $16,500](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/cost/) among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 7 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $97,123 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
|  | Graduates of [California State University-Northridge](/school/california-state-university-northridge/majors/) earn a [median of $97,123](/school/california-state-university-northridge/outcomes/) four years after completing, above the list median of $95,860. |
| 8 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $97,092 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) [admits 9% of applicants](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/admissions/) and its Civil Engineering graduates earn a median of $97,092 four years after completing. |
| 9 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $96,354 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
|  | Ranking 9th on this list, [University of California-Irvine](/school/university-of-california-irvine/majors/) reports [median earnings of $96,354](/school/university-of-california-irvine/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 10 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $95,939 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
|  | [University of California-Davis](/school/university-of-california-davis/majors/) reports an [average net price of $14,741](/school/university-of-california-davis/cost/) and median earnings of $95,939 for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 11 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $95,865 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
|  | [San Diego State University](/school/san-diego-state-university/majors/) has a [median federal debt of $19,832](/school/san-diego-state-university/cost/) among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed and reports median earnings of $95,865 four years after completing. |
| 12 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $95,854 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
|  | [California State University-Fullerton](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/majors/) [ranks 6th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $6,555. |
| 13 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $94,760 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
|  | An [average net price of $3,967](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/cost/) and a median federal debt of $16,500 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed are reported at [California State University-Los Angeles](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/majors/). |
| 14 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $93,973 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
|  | Median earnings reach $93,973 for Civil Engineering graduates of [California State University-Sacramento](/school/california-state-university-sacramento/majors/) four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 145. |
| 15 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $92,472 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
|  | An [admission rate of 93%](/school/california-state-university-chico/admissions/) coincides with an Azimuth composite rank of 91st among nonprofit four-year institutions at [California State University-Chico](/school/california-state-university-chico/majors/). |
| 16 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $91,745 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
|  | [University of California-San Diego](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/) holds an [admission rate of 27%](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/admissions/) and an average net price of $7,525 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 17 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $90,894 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
|  | [San Francisco State University](/school/san-francisco-state-university/majors/) ranks 17th on this list, with [median earnings of $90,894](/school/san-francisco-state-university/outcomes/) four years after completing and a median federal debt of $17,500 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 18 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $90,510 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Stockton, [University of the Pacific](/school/university-of-the-pacific/majors/) reports [median earnings of $90,510](/school/university-of-the-pacific/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 19 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $90,251 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
|  | [California Baptist University](/school/california-baptist-university/majors/) posts a [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/california-baptist-university/cost/) among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed and an average net price of $26,285. |
| 20 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $89,457 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
|  | Ranking 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, [California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/) reports [median earnings of $89,457](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 21 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $87,627 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
|  | An [average net price of $5,105](/school/california-state-university-fresno/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $15,267 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed are reported at [California State University-Fresno](/school/california-state-university-fresno/majors/). |
| 22 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $74,845 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
|  | [San Jose State University](/school/san-jose-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $74,845](/school/san-jose-state-university/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 85%. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Civil 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 the program. For 1 of the 22 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 Southern California is $2,240, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $33,703.

## Job market context in California

Civil Engineering graduates in California are linked to occupations such as Civil Engineers and Engineers, All Other. The median annual wage across those occupations is $125,278, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $97,232. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 7,830 openings a year, or about 360 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 6.9% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the broader occupational wage figures shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in Texas](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-texas/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in Florida](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-florida/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in Pennsylvania](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-pennsylvania/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in Ohio](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-ohio/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in California](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-california/)
-   Engineering Colleges in California for Social Mobility