2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Schools in California
[Manufacturing Engineering](/majors/engineering/manufacturing-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for manufacturing engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Schools in California
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the manufacturing engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Manufacturing Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked California State University Northridge the best value for a degree in manufacturing engineering in California. California State University Northridge is a very large public school located in the city of Northridge. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,458, with out-of-state students paying around $20,058. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering graduates is $16,202. Manufacturing Engineering graduates of California State University Northridge earn a median of $48,437 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
California State Polytechnic University Pomona is a great value for students pursuing a degree in manufacturing engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Pomona, California State Polytechnic University Pomona is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,781, compared with $20,381 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering graduates is $17,083. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering degree recipients from California State Polytechnic University Pomona generally make around $79,549. Set against $17,083 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earned it the #3 place for manufacturing engineering. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,161, compared with $33,230 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for manufacturing engineering graduates is $19,273. Early-career manufacturing engineering graduates make about $61,010. That is a strong return on a $19,273 median debt. Roughly 31% of applicants are accepted.
National University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value manufacturing engineering schools. National University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. Students from in state pay about $13,284 in tuition and fees. Manufacturing Engineering graduates carry a median of $30,426 in student loans. Soon after graduation, manufacturing engineering degree recipients from National University generally make around $69,080. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
More Manufacturing Engineering Rankings
View All Manufacturing Engineering Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
