Best Mechanical Engineering Programs in California (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in California
This page ranks the 29 Mechanical Engineering programs in California by the median earnings of Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. Cal Poly Maritime Academy leads the list with median earnings of $126,395 four years after completing, followed by Santa Clara University at $122,111 and University of California-Berkeley at $119,371.
Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $126,395 to $63,600, with a median of $99,148.
Public institutions account for 21 of the 29 programs, while 8 are private nonprofits. California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price on the list at $3,967.
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 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA | $126,395 | $20,555 | $13,552 | 95.0% |
| Cal Poly Maritime Academy reports median earnings of $126,395 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $122,111 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Santa Clara, Santa Clara University admits 48% of applicants and posts median earnings of $122,111 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $119,371 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley carries an average net price of $13,481 and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $119,371 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $117,072 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left Stanford University with a median of $12,000 in federal loans, while its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $117,072 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $108,875 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles ranks 5th on this list, with a median of $108,875 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 9%. | |||||
| 6 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $106,750 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| With 272 graduates in the earnings cohort, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports median earnings of $106,750 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $105,046 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University posts median earnings of $105,046 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $26,285. | |||||
| 8 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $104,649 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California admits 10% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $104,649 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $104,336 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| An average net price of $9,231 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $104,336 for University of California-Santa Barbara Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $104,229 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| Ranking 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of California-San Diego reports median earnings of $104,229 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $102,161 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis reports median earnings of $102,161 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 166 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 12 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $102,104 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University admits 96% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $102,104 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $99,573 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Stockton, University of the Pacific reports $99,573 in median earnings for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $25,447. | |||||
| 14 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $99,216 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge admits 93% of applicants and ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $99,148 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| With 276 graduates in the earnings cohort, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona posts median earnings of $99,148 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $99,111 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine shows a median federal debt of $14,750 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $99,111. | |||||
| 17 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $97,825 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 17th on this list, with median earnings of $97,825 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $96,226 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University has an average net price of $48,381 and an admission rate of 45%. | |||||
| 19 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $95,957 | $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 Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $95,957. | |||||
| 20 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $95,040 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| With an admission rate of 91%, University of California-Merced reports median earnings of $95,040 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $93,878 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento shows a median federal debt of $16,532 among Mechanical Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside an average net price of $9,338. | |||||
| 22 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $93,721 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside ranks 22nd on this list, and its 94 graduates in the earnings cohort earned a median of $93,721 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $93,555 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| California State University-Chico admits 93% of applicants and reports median earnings of $93,555 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $93,028 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| Ranking 24th on this list, California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price on the page at $3,967, and its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $93,028. | |||||
| 25 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $91,848 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| University of San Diego, a private nonprofit university in San Diego, reports median earnings of $91,848 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 26 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $88,002 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno ranks 26th on this list and shows an average net price of $7,000. | |||||
| 27 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $86,808 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| With an admission rate of 91%, California State University-Fullerton posts median earnings of $86,808 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | California Institute of Technology · Pasadena, CA | $83,177 | $16,075 | -$2,133* | 2.6% |
| California Institute of Technology admits 3% of applicants and its Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $83,177 four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $63,600 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University reports median earnings of $63,600 for its Mechanical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $13,760. | |||||
* 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 Mechanical 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 29 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 range and median below cover the 29 schools with a published figure. Cal Poly Maritime Academy leads Santa Clara University by a gap of $4,284, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $62,795.
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