Best Computer Engineering Degrees in California by ROI

Colleges in California ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment — calculated from median graduate earnings, total attendance cost, and average student debt. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in California

23

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$729,478

Across California programs

Average Annual Cost

$36,600

Cost of attendance

# College 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 Santa Clara University

Grad rate: 88.5%

 +$1,436,648 $131,051 $77,768 $24,666 Full ROI →
2 University of California-Los Angeles

Grad rate: 92.6%

 +$1,228,928 $111,727 $36,643 $14,103 Full ROI →
3 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Grad rate: 85.3%

 +$1,148,537 $106,798 $29,918 $20,556 Full ROI →
4 San Jose State University

Grad rate: 66.2%

 +$1,090,860 $101,682 $25,695 N/A Full ROI →
5 University of California-San Diego

Grad rate: 87.7%

 +$982,329 $99,630 $36,325 $18,497 Full ROI →
6 University of California-Davis

Grad rate: 85.7%

 +$957,726 $98,364 $38,067 $12,804 Full ROI →
7 California State University-Chico

Grad rate: 63.9%

 +$941,580 $94,197 $25,590 N/A Full ROI →
8 University of California-Santa Barbara

Grad rate: 85.5%

 +$880,542 $94,355 $36,776 $14,410 Full ROI →
9 University of California-Santa Cruz

Grad rate: 75.7%

 +$850,784 $93,848 $38,649 $23,392 Full ROI →
10 University of Southern California

Grad rate: 92.2%

 +$822,683 $100,711 $84,678 $9,500 Full ROI →
11 California State University-Sacramento

Grad rate: 55.1%

 +$750,439 $85,246 $22,714 $17,500 Full ROI →
12 California State University-Fresno

Grad rate: 55.5%

 +$742,923 $84,934 $18,650 $30,486 Full ROI →
13 University of California-Riverside

Grad rate: 76.3%

 +$667,837 $84,080 $34,975 $25,083 Full ROI →
14 California State University-Fullerton

Grad rate: 69.3%

 +$644,017 $78,803 $16,767 $18,500 Full ROI →
15 San Francisco State University

Grad rate: 52.2%

 +$632,988 $80,061 $25,258 $20,148 Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost (annual cost × programme years) − Debt Payoff (avg debt × 1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20 = $840,000)

A positive ROI means a degree in this field pays off relative to entering the workforce without one. Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Computer Engineering Degrees by State

Browse Computer Engineering programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.

Alabama Best Computer Engineering → Arizona Best Computer Engineering → Arkansas Best Computer Engineering → California Current state Colorado Best Computer Engineering → Connecticut Best Computer Engineering → Florida Best Computer Engineering → Georgia Best Computer Engineering → Hawaii Best Computer Engineering → Illinois Best Computer Engineering → Indiana Best Computer Engineering → Iowa Best Computer Engineering → Kansas Best Computer Engineering → Kentucky Best Computer Engineering → Maryland Best Computer Engineering → Massachusetts Best Computer Engineering → Michigan Best Computer Engineering → Minnesota Best Computer Engineering → Mississippi Best Computer Engineering → Missouri Best Computer Engineering → Nebraska Best Computer Engineering → Nevada Best Computer Engineering → New Hampshire Best Computer Engineering → New Jersey Best Computer Engineering → New Mexico Best Computer Engineering → New York Best Computer Engineering → North Carolina Best Computer Engineering → North Dakota Best Computer Engineering → Ohio Best Computer Engineering → Pennsylvania Best Computer Engineering → Rhode Island Best Computer Engineering → South Carolina Best Computer Engineering → Tennessee Best Computer Engineering → Texas Best Computer Engineering → Utah Best Computer Engineering → Virginia Best Computer Engineering → Washington Best Computer Engineering → West Virginia Best Computer Engineering → Wisconsin Best Computer Engineering →