2026 Best Computer Hardware Engineering Schools in California

Computer Hardware Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their computer hardware engineering programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools to find the best for computer hardware engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Computer Hardware Engineering Schools in California

Best Schools for Computer Hardware Engineering in California

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall computer hardware engineering education in California.

Top Schools in Computer Hardware Engineering

1

University Of California San Diego
La Jolla, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

17 Computer Hardware Engineering Degrees Awarded

$96,256 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is University Of California San Diego, our #1 school for computer hardware engineering. Located in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public university. About 86% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 17 computer hardware engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of California San Diego in the most recent data year. Students who receive their computer hardware engineering degree from University Of California San Diego earn around $96,256 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $18,497 to complete this degree. See the full computer hardware engineering program report for University Of California San Diego

2

Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

43 Computer Hardware Engineering Degrees Awarded

$128,924 Median Starting Salary

Santa Clara University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in computer hardware engineering, ranking #2. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Santa Clara. The six-year graduation rate is 88%. There were roughly 43 computer hardware engineering students who graduated with this degree at Santa Clara University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their computer hardware engineering degree from Santa Clara University earn around $128,924 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,666. Get the full computer hardware engineering details for Santa Clara University

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 3 schools evaluated.

• 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.