by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Engineering Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,375 doctor's degrees in engineering during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of engineering for getting your doctor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality engineering program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for engineering students working on their doctor's degree.
The engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Engineering Doctor's Degree Schools in California.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for engineering students seeking a a doctor's degree.
Stanford University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in engineering. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University
Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in engineering has to check out University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of Southern California
It is difficult to beat University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in engineering. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Berkeley
Every student who is interested in a doctor's degree in engineering needs to check out University of California - Davis. UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Davis
UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - San Diego
Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Irvine
UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Santa Barbara
UCR is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Riverside.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Riverside
Located in the suburb of Merced, UC Merced is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in engineering from University of California - Merced
Explore all the Best Engineering Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 27 | 175 |
| Oregon | 27 | 96 |
| Nevada | 25 | 41 |
| Hawaii | 23 | 13 |
| Alaska | 10 | 3 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | 350 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 219 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 193 |
| Chemical Engineering | 138 |
| Civil Engineering | 135 |
| Materials Engineering | 105 |
| Computer Engineering | 50 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 43 |
| Other Engineering | 39 |
| Systems Engineering | 16 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 1,127 |
| Physical Sciences | 932 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 271 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 252 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 83 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 30 |
| Engineering Technologies | 10 |
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