Best Computer Engineering Programs in California (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in California
This page ranks the 25 Computer Engineering programs in California by the median earnings of Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of California-Los Angeles leads the list with median earnings of $228,705 four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the figures range from $228,705 to $74,017, with a median of $103,896. For 2 of the 25 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 21 of the 25 schools, alongside 4 private nonprofits. University of California-San Diego holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, placing 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions.
California State University-San Bernardino posts the lowest average net price at $4,564.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $228,705 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles reports median earnings of $228,705 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list, alongside an admission rate of 9%. | |||||
| 2 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $166,369 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, University of Southern California ranks 2nd on this list with median earnings of $166,369 and a median federal debt of $6,625 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $163,765 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University admits 48% of applicants and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $163,765 four years after completing, with a cohort of 83 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $149,139 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $149,139 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $148,950 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| With an average net price of $16,665, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo posts median earnings of $148,950 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 158. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $145,422 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis reports median earnings of $145,422 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $9,211 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $144,703 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| Graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara's Computer Engineering program earn a median of $144,703 four years after completing, and the school reports a median federal debt of $14,410 among those completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $132,357 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine admits 29% of applicants and its Computer Engineering graduates, numbering 246 in the earnings cohort, earn a median of $132,357 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $124,641 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| An average net price of $17,890 accompanies median earnings of $124,641 for University of California-Santa Cruz's Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $116,842 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 36th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $116,842 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $107,193 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside admits 76% of applicants and reports median earnings of $107,193 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $25,083 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 12 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $104,394 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento reports an average net price of $9,338, and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $104,394 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $103,896 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| At California State University-Fresno, median earnings of $103,896 for Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing coincide with an average net price of $7,000. | |||||
| 14 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $102,575 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| Admitting 91% of applicants, University of California-Merced shows median earnings of $102,575 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $101,408 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton ranks 6th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts a median federal debt of $16,500 among Computer Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 16 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $101,021 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| An average net price of $4,905 for families earning under $30,000 accompanies median earnings of $101,021 for Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing at California State University-Northridge. | |||||
| 17 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $100,673 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| With an admission rate of 75%, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona reports median earnings of $100,673 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $98,967 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $98,967. | |||||
| 19 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $97,345 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| A median federal debt of $16,552 across all of California State University-Chico's borrowers who completed coincides with median earnings of $97,345 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $96,506 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University, a private nonprofit university in Riverside, reports median earnings of $96,506 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $94,129 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University admits 96% of applicants and its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $94,129. | |||||
| 22 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $93,797 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| California State University-Bakersfield reports an average net price of $5,652 and a median federal debt of $16,600 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $92,492 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| Ranking 43rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, California State University-San Bernardino carries an average net price of $2,681 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 24 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $78,074 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University reports median earnings of $78,074 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $13,760. | |||||
| 25 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $74,017 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| University of the Pacific, a private nonprofit university in Stockton, reports median earnings of $74,017 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $25,447. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Computer 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 25 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 and second is wide: University of California-Los Angeles reports $228,705 while University of Southern California reports $166,369, a difference of $62,336.
Job market context in California
Computer Engineering graduates in California enter occupations such as Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $170,557, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $133,324. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 16.6% higher, with about 1,088 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupation-wide wage figures shown here.
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