Best colleges for Materials Engineering
Ranked by graduate earnings
The top bachelor's colleges for Materials Engineering by graduate earnings are University of Florida ($79,200), Drexel University ($78,623) and Purdue University ($78,265), based on median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, among programs with at least 20 graduates a year, excluding online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools and those with a graduation rate under 30%.
- University of Florida (Gainesville, FL): $79,200, 119 graduates a year
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA): $78,623, 41 graduates a year
- Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN): $78,265, 112 graduates a year
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion (Tempe, AZ): $77,646, 65 graduates a year
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI): $76,662, 45 graduates a year
Compare 112 U.S. colleges offering Materials Engineering by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 40 states.
Materials Engineering programs report median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $72,944 (College Scorecard, 2019), and map to CIP 14.18 and the Materials Engineers occupation (BLS SOC).
About Materials Engineering programs
Materials Engineering is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on understanding the relationships between the structure of materials and their properties. This program is designed for students interested in how materials are processed and how their characteristics can be tailored for specific applications, impacting various industries. It combines principles from engineering, chemistry, and physics to solve real-world problems.
Students in Materials Engineering will develop core skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking, and mathematics. Coursework often includes topics in engineering and technology, chemistry, and physics, providing a solid foundation for understanding material properties and their applications.
Top 25 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, predominant credential. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $79,200 | 119 | 91% | — | — |
| 2 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $78,623 | 41 | 78% | $36,004 | $31,000 |
| 3 | Purdue University West Lafayette, IN Public · Bachelor's degree | $78,265 | 112 | 83% | — | $21,335 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $77,646 | 65 | 68% | — | $23,733 |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Public · Bachelor's degree | $76,662 | 45 | 90% | — | $20,676 |
| 6 | Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA Public · Bachelor's degree | $76,488 | 114 | 94% | — | $17,123 |
| 7 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Public · Bachelor's degree | $75,607 | 41 | 83% | — | $27,000 |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL Public · Bachelor's degree | $75,080 | 115 | 85% | — | $17,916 |
| 9 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · Bachelor's degree | $75,041 | 76 | 93% | — | $17,750 |
| 10 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $74,971 | 26 | 88% | $26,912 | $26,324 |
| 11 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $74,496 | 34 | 86% | — | $17,000 |
| 12 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $74,110 | 42 | 86% | — | $18,777 |
| 13 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · Bachelor's degree | $74,058 | 70 | 85% | — | $21,111 |
| 14 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $71,174 | 112 | 85% | — | $20,915 |
| 15 | Ohio State University Columbus, OH Public · Bachelor's degree | $70,371 | 64 | 88% | — | $19,500 |
| 16 | Clemson University Clemson, SC Public · Bachelor's degree | $69,763 | 38 | 87% | — | $25,243 |
| 17 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $66,927 | 23 | 84% | $28,900 | $23,250 |
| 18 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · Bachelor's degree | $66,888 | 74 | 86% | — | $27,000 |
| 19 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $65,919 | 42 | 96% | $11,666 | — |
| 20 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · Bachelor's degree | $65,831 | 33 | 75% | — | $23,125 |
| 21 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · Bachelor's degree | $63,505 | 31 | 74% | — | $19,500 |
| 22 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI Public · Bachelor's degree | $63,135 | 32 | 68% | — | $27,000 |
| 23 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · Bachelor's degree | $60,445 | 52 | 85% | — | $21,250 |
| 24 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $58,177 | 47 | 87% | — | $9,987 |
| 25 | Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,560 | 29 | 60% | — | $29,760 |
Specializations within Materials Engineering
1 of the 1 6-digit CIP codes under CIP 14.18 have U.S. graduates (NCES CIP 2020, IPEDS 2024–25). Each links to its own page, ranked by graduates.
Offered across 40 states
The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 17-2131, Materials Engineers, and its national outlook.
Graduates of Materials Engineering can expect a favorable job outlook, with a projected growth rate of 5.7% and approximately 1,500 annual openings. The median wage for professionals in this field is $108,310, typically requiring a Bachelor's degree for entry-level positions.
Top-paying metros
Related careers
CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for Materials Engineering
The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 14.18.
Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 14.18 (Materials Engineering) maps to 4 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.
| SOC code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 11-9041 | Architectural and Engineering Managers |
| 13-1051 | Cost Estimators |
| 17-2131 | Materials Engineersprimary |
| 25-1032 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.
Skills & knowledge in Materials Engineering programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
What graduates do on the job
- Analyze product failure data and laboratory test results to determine causes of problems and develop solutions.
- Design and direct the testing or control of processing procedures.
- Monitor material performance, and evaluate its deterioration.
- Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
- Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.
- Modify properties of metal alloys, using thermal and mechanical treatments.
Common questions
What is Materials Engineering?+
Materials Engineering is the study of the relationships between material structures and their properties, focusing on designing materials for specific applications.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop skills in critical thinking, mathematics, and active learning, along with knowledge in engineering, chemistry, and physics.
What are the career prospects?+
The field has a projected growth rate of 5.7%, with around 1,500 annual job openings.
What is the typical salary for a Materials Engineer?+
The median wage for Materials Engineers is $108,310.
How much do Materials Engineering graduates earn?+
Materials Engineering graduates report median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $72,944, College Scorecard (2019); the Materials Engineers occupation pays about $120,250 on average nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the CIP code for Materials Engineering?+
Materials Engineering maps to CIP 14.18 in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the U.S. Department of Education taxonomy used for College Scorecard Field of Study earnings and IPEDS completions.
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.
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