44 Best colleges for Geotechnical Engineering in California, US

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Geotechnical Engineering. A graph of 2.68M citations received by 53.8K academic papers made by 44 universities in California was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Geotechnical Engineering

#1 in the United States

#1 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $29,608
Enrollment: 45,882

2. Stanford University

Stanford

For Geotechnical Engineering

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $25,078

3. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Geotechnical Engineering

#9 in the United States

#9 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $24,591
Enrollment: 40,065

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Geotechnical Engineering

#20 in the United States

#24 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $25,627
Enrollment: 47,335

5. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Geotechnical Engineering

#30 in the United States

#36 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Receiving Aid: 66%
Average Aid: $25,757
Enrollment: 44,256

6. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Geotechnical Engineering

#33 in the United States

#39 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $24,695
Enrollment: 26,133

7. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Geotechnical Engineering

#37 in the United States

#43 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $14,513
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $72,373

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Geotechnical Engineering

#41 in the United States

#47 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $43,412

9. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Geotechnical Engineering

#46 in the United States

#56 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $24,355
Enrollment: 26,384

10. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Geotechnical Engineering

#53 in the United States

#63 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $23,110
Enrollment: 37,297

11. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Geotechnical Engineering

#81 in the United States

#97 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,007
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1864

12. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Geotechnical Engineering

#108 in the United States

#127 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Receiving Aid: 64%
Average Aid: $22,774
Enrollment: 19,938

13. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Geotechnical Engineering

#131 in the United States

#158 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $12,053
Enrollment: 41,137

14. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Geotechnical Engineering

#160 in the United States

#192 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $14,338
Enrollment: 23,069

15. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Geotechnical Engineering

#177 in the United States

#212 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $27,292
Enrollment: 9,110

16. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Geotechnical Engineering

#181 in the United States

#216 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $11,795
Enrollment: 42,003

17. Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

San Diego

For Geotechnical Engineering

#194 in the United States

#231 in North America

Enrollment: 52
Male:Female: 32:68

18. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Geotechnical Engineering

#202 in the United States

#241 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,767
Enrollment: 31,943

19. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Geotechnical Engineering

#205 in the United States

#244 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 2,441
Male:Female: 79:21
Founded: 1909

20. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Geotechnical Engineering

#214 in the United States

#253 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 81%
Average Aid: $12,996
Enrollment: 22,563

21. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Geotechnical Engineering

#219 in the United States

#258 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Receiving Aid: 69%
Average Aid: $12,353
Enrollment: 37,661

22. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Geotechnical Engineering

#229 in the United States

#268 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 74%
Average Aid: $10,748
Enrollment: 6,237

23. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Geotechnical Engineering

#230 in the United States

#269 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $11,234
Enrollment: 43,662

24. California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo

For Geotechnical Engineering

#251 in the United States

#290 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 68%
Average Aid: $11,038
Enrollment: 837

25. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Geotechnical Engineering

#266 in the United States

#308 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $53,883

26. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Geotechnical Engineering

#268 in the United States

#311 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $13,824
Enrollment: 23,163

27. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Geotechnical Engineering

#271 in the United States

#314 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $12,326
Enrollment: 24,427

28. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Geotechnical Engineering

#303 in the United States

#347 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $11,509
Enrollment: 15,257

29. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Geotechnical Engineering

#309 in the United States

#353 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $11,833
Enrollment: 27,636

30. Ashford University

San Diego

For Geotechnical Engineering

#322 in the United States

#366 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $32,265
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $5,648

31. Chapman University

Orange

For Geotechnical Engineering

#329 in the United States

#373 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $47,902

32. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Geotechnical Engineering

#332 in the United States

#376 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,825
Enrollment: 38,313

33. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Geotechnical Engineering

#333 in the United States

#377 in North America

Enrollment: 4,210
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1905

34. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Geotechnical Engineering

#340 in the United States

#384 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1332
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $31,670

35. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Geotechnical Engineering

#365 in the United States

#410 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,065
Male:Female: 16:84
Founded: 1975

36. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Geotechnical Engineering

#369 in the United States

#415 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Net Price: $37,918
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $40,965

37. California State University - Monterey Bay

Seaside

For Geotechnical Engineering

#378 in the United States

#425 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 76%
Average Aid: $12,185
Enrollment: 7,713

38. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

For Geotechnical Engineering

#380 in the United States

#427 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $59,926

39. Pomona College

Claremont

For Geotechnical Engineering

#381 in the United States

#428 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,938

40. University of the West

Rosemead

For Geotechnical Engineering

#406 in the United States

#454 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $14,713
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $9,445

41. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Geotechnical Engineering

#410 in the United States

#458 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $45,443

42. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield

For Geotechnical Engineering

#426 in the United States

#474 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $12,966
Enrollment: 10,419

43. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Geotechnical Engineering

#452 in the United States

#501 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $12,369
Enrollment: 12,326

44. Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita

For Geotechnical Engineering

#455 in the United States

#505 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $37,919
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $16,990

Closest to California states to learn Geotechnical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	5	27
Utah	3	45
Arizona	3	12
Idaho	3	89
Washington	9	14
Colorado	11	17
New Mexico	3	85
Montana	3	112
Nebraska	6	43
South Dakota	4	149
Kansas	5	49
Texas	37	2
Oklahoma	4	40
North Dakota	2	132
Minnesota	8	10
Iowa	3	32
Missouri	10	54
Arkansas	7	118
Louisiana	9	29
Wisconsin	12	15
Illinois	17	7
Mississippi	5	106
Indiana	12	11
Michigan	13	6
Tennessee	11	52
Alabama	8	66
Kentucky	5	64
Ohio	19	18
Georgia	11	23
South Carolina	7	56
North Carolina	11	26
Virginia	12	28
Alaska	3	74
Pennsylvania	26	8
Florida	20	16
District of Columbia	6	161
Maryland	11	38
New York	48	13
New Jersey	9	34
Vermont	3	115
Connecticut	8	47
Massachusetts	23	5
New Hampshire	4	78
Rhode Island	3	73
Maine	4	120
Puerto Rico	3	224