North Carolina · Materials Sciences

Best colleges for Materials Sciences in North Carolina

Ranked by graduates a year

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University award the most Materials Sciences degrees and certificates in North Carolina: 12 and 3 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 2 North Carolina colleges offer Materials Sciences and award 15 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Materials Sciences program is an interdisciplinary field that explores the relationships between the structure of materials and their properties. This program is designed for students interested in understanding how materials can be…

Institutions
2
offering CIP 40.10
States offered
31
with a program page
Degrees / yr
15
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
—
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
0
College Scorecard
Median net price
$16,260
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
94%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Materials Scientists
$110,700
BLS OEWS May 2025

2 institutions offering Materials Sciences in North Carolina

Graduate earnings are not yet reported for these institutions; ordered by graduates a year.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill Public
—1291%——
2Duke University
Durham Private not-for-profit
—397%$16,260—

Colleges awarding the most Materials Sciences degrees in North Carolina

Top 2 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill Public
12Not reported
2Duke University
Durham Private not-for-profit
3Not reported

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Materials Scientists (SOC 19-2032).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.9%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~600
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$104,160
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningScienceCritical ThinkingWritingActive Learning

What Materials Scientists earn in North Carolina

Jobs in North Carolina
490
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$110,700
median $106,470
Best-paying metro
$113,310
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Related careers

Chemists
$90,800 avg · 4,530 jobs
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other
$63,360 avg · 2,310 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Materials Sciences programs in North Carolina.

Which North Carolina colleges award the most Materials Sciences degrees?+

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (12 graduates a year) and Duke University (3 graduates a year) award the most Materials Sciences degrees and certificates in North Carolina, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 2 North Carolina colleges offer Materials Sciences.

How much do Materials Scientists earn in North Carolina?+

The average annual wage for Materials Scientists in North Carolina is $110,700 (median $106,470), across about 490 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Materials Sciences program?+

The Materials Sciences program is an interdisciplinary field that explores the relationships between the structure of materials and their properties. This program is designed for students interested in understanding how materials can be…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, science, critical thinking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Materials Scientists?+

The national job outlook is about +4.9% growth with around 600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card