2026 Best Value Computer Hardware Engineering Schools in the Far Western Region
[Computer Hardware Engineering](/majors/engineering/ce-computer-engineering/computer-hardware-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value computer hardware engineering schools.
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2026 Best Value Computer Hardware Engineering Schools in the Far Western Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the computer hardware engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Computer Hardware Engineering Schools
For return on investment in computer hardware engineering, no school beat University Of California San Diego this year. University Of California San Diego is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,788, with out-of-state students paying around $47,676. Computer Hardware Engineering graduates carry a median of $18,497 in student loans. Soon after graduation, computer hardware engineering degree recipients from University Of California San Diego generally make around $96,256. Set against $18,497 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Students looking for strong value in computer hardware engineering will find it at Santa Clara University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Santa Clara, Santa Clara University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,293. Computer Hardware Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,666 in student loans. Computer Hardware Engineering graduates of Santa Clara University earn a median of $128,924 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,666 median debt. The acceptance rate is 48%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
