47 Best Systems Engineering schools in California, US

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Systems Engineering. A graph of 1.67M citations received by 42.5K academic papers made by 47 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. Stanford University

Stanford

For Systems Engineering

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $18,279

2. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Systems Engineering

#4 in the United States

#4 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $21,669
Enrollment: 45,307

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Systems Engineering

#10 in the United States

#11 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $36,808

4. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Systems Engineering

#15 in the United States

#16 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 24%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $20,782
Enrollment: 42,006

5. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Systems Engineering

#16 in the United States

#17 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 57%
Average Aid: $21,766
Enrollment: 46,430

6. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Systems Engineering

#35 in the United States

#40 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $17,411
Enrollment: 35,937

7. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Systems Engineering

#48 in the United States

#56 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $20,548
Enrollment: 39,679

8. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Systems Engineering

#50 in the United States

#60 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $20,389
Enrollment: 26,420

9. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Systems Engineering

#54 in the United States

#65 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $20,755
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $59,192

10. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Systems Engineering

#105 in the United States

#126 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 2,670
Male:Female: 78:22
Founded: 1909

11. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Systems Engineering

#108 in the United States

#129 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $22,042
Enrollment: 26,809

12. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Systems Engineering

#112 in the United States

#134 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,140
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1864

13. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Systems Engineering

#114 in the United States

#136 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $9,210
Enrollment: 35,751

14. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Systems Engineering

#126 in the United States

#152 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Receiving Aid: 74%
Average Aid: $21,202
Enrollment: 19,478

15. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Systems Engineering

#134 in the United States

#161 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $9,934
Enrollment: 37,402

16. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Systems Engineering

#164 in the United States

#194 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Receiving Aid: 57%
Average Aid: $10,065
Enrollment: 22,000

17. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Systems Engineering

#203 in the United States

#236 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $9,478
Enrollment: 38,973

18. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Systems Engineering

#206 in the United States

#239 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $9,590
Enrollment: 31,818

19. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Systems Engineering

#208 in the United States

#242 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $9,194
Enrollment: 40,386

20. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Systems Engineering

#210 in the United States

#244 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Average SAT: 1385
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $50,551

21. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Systems Engineering

#224 in the United States

#261 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 78%
Average Aid: $9,830
Enrollment: 25,282

22. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Systems Engineering

#227 in the United States

#264 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $10,907
Enrollment: 26,460

23. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Systems Engineering

#240 in the United States

#277 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $25,868
Enrollment: 9,103

24. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Systems Engineering

#252 in the United States

#290 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 85%
Average Aid: $10,511
Enrollment: 37,579

25. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Systems Engineering

#265 in the United States

#303 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Receiving Aid: 77%
Average Aid: $9,040
Enrollment: 27,503

26. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Systems Engineering

#289 in the United States

#330 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $42,953

27. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Systems Engineering

#300 in the United States

#341 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Net Price: $36,008
Receiving Aid: 84%
Average Aid: $36,408

28. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Systems Engineering

#302 in the United States

#344 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,968
Enrollment: 23,999

29. Claremont Graduate University

Claremont

For Systems Engineering

#304 in the United States

#346 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 1,903
Male:Female: 40:60
Founded: 1925

30. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

For Systems Engineering

#333 in the United States

#376 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Average SAT: 1380
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $52,815

31. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Systems Engineering

#337 in the United States

#380 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,871
Enrollment: 19,803

32. Claremont McKenna College

Claremont

For Systems Engineering

#342 in the United States

#385 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1495
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $28,701

33. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Systems Engineering

#346 in the United States

#389 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 76%
Average Aid: $9,262
Enrollment: 6,025

34. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Systems Engineering

#354 in the United States

#399 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,129
Male:Female: 14:86
Founded: 1975

35. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Systems Engineering

#376 in the United States

#423 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 72%
Average Aid: $9,162
Enrollment: 14,183

36. California State University - San Marcos

San Marcos

For Systems Engineering

#384 in the United States

#431 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $8,922
Enrollment: 15,109

37. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson

For Systems Engineering

#396 in the United States

#446 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $9,819
Enrollment: 16,426

38. Pomona College

Claremont

For Systems Engineering

#398 in the United States

#448 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,962

39. Chapman University

Orange

For Systems Engineering

#408 in the United States

#458 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1300
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $45,033

40. California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo

For Systems Engineering

#431 in the United States

#481 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $9,529
Enrollment: 849

41. Pepperdine University

Malibu

For Systems Engineering

#442 in the United States

#492 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Average SAT: 1383
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $47,804

42. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Systems Engineering

#453 in the United States

#504 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $8,659
Enrollment: 13,673

43. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont

For Systems Engineering

#454 in the United States

#505 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $39,850

44. Scripps College

Claremont

For Systems Engineering

#456 in the United States

#507 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $43,923

45. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield

For Systems Engineering

#458 in the United States

#509 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $10,750
Enrollment: 9,613

46. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Systems Engineering

#469 in the United States

#520 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Average SAT: 1440
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $44,853

47. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Systems Engineering

#475 in the United States

#526 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1272
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $28,164

Closest to California states to learn Systems Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	7	69
Utah	5	49
Arizona	4	27
Idaho	3	165
Washington	8	12
Colorado	8	45
New Mexico	3	98
Nebraska	5	62
South Dakota	4	273
Kansas	4	90
Texas	38	8
Oklahoma	4	91
North Dakota	2	143
Minnesota	8	22
Iowa	4	38
Missouri	9	41
Arkansas	6	142
Louisiana	7	74
Wisconsin	11	14
Illinois	19	6
Mississippi	4	101
Indiana	12	19
Michigan	14	7
Tennessee	11	42
Alabama	8	87
Kentucky	6	68
Ohio	18	18
Georgia	9	5
South Carolina	7	81
North Carolina	13	37
Virginia	13	28
Pennsylvania	29	1
Florida	18	32
District of Columbia	7	93
Maryland	12	9
New York	55	17
New Jersey	14	21
Connecticut	12	34
Massachusetts	29	2
New Hampshire	3	107
Rhode Island	3	78
Maine	3	229