by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 112 U.S. colleges awarded 3,220 degrees and certificates in Materials Engineering. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 40% of graduates. College Factual ranks 62 schools in its 2027 Best Materials Engineering Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $74,307 one year after completing, rising to $95,311 after four years.
Material Engineers create, develop, and test materials to create different products: everything from waterproof coats, to four-lane bridges, to golf clubs. As a Materials Engineering major you will learn how to develop high-tech materials or improve already existing products. Some of the materials you will commonly work with include metal, ceramics and glass, plastic, natural and synthetic items. Nothing is too challenging for a material engineer major. If the right material cannot be found, the next step is to create one to handle the job.
Some courses you may be required to take could include: chemistry, physics, advanced mathematics, thermodynamics, kinetics of materials, material engineering design, materials science, and electronic properties of materials. Materials engineers may specialize in a specific material, such as: ceramic, composite, metallurgic, plastics, or semiconductor processing.
A degree in Materials Engineering involves the study of Materials Engineering.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, materials engineering is a widely-pursued major, with 3,220 degrees awarded annually. 112 colleges award materials engineering degrees, an average of 29 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 123.
By level, the 3,220 awards include 7 associate degrees, 1,171 bachelor’s degrees, 1,303 master’s degrees and 720 doctorates.
Women earned 34% of materials engineering degrees and certificates in the latest year (1,096 of 3,220). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (1,345) and Asian (370), and international students earned 939.
College Factual ranks 62 schools in its 2027 Best Materials Engineering Schools ranking, including 44 for bachelor’s degrees, 39 for master’s degrees and 30 for doctorates. It also ranks materials engineering schools within 29 states. In all, 112 colleges offer materials engineering programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Materials Engineering Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common materials engineering credential is the master’s degree: 1,303 of the 3,220 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to materials engineering call most for Speaking, Reading Comprehension and Active Listening, and for knowledge of Engineering and Technology, Mathematics and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Engineering students love to solve problems and learn how things work. As a materials engineering major, you will use critical thinking and creativity in order to determine how materials can be used in different conditions.
You will be working with numbers and solving equations, but you will also have to articulate your findings to your peers and your professors. Learn to hone your communication skills through writing reports and participating in group presentations. You will need to be very clear when explaining a concept to someone who is not familiar with engineering.
Most colleges will require a summer or semester long internship in order to graduate. Other programs will require you to participate in a co-op program.
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How long a materials engineering degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 7 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 1,171 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,303 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 720 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to materials engineering, at 37.5%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 37.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 22.4% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 11.8% |
| Master’s degree | 11.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 11.2% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.9% |
| First professional degree | 1.1% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.6% |
Source: O*NET Online.
5 occupations are related to Materials Engineering, with an average median salary of $80,705; the strongest outlook belongs to Cost Estimators, at 12.4% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Electrical Engineering Professor, Highway Engineering Teacher, Engineering Teacher and Television Engineering Teacher.
The occupation related to materials engineering with the most projected jobs is Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,297,204.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,297,204 | -2.0% |
| Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 440,884 | 8.0% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 207,139 | 9.0% |
| Cost Estimators | 181,631 | 12.4% |
| Materials Engineers | 40,988 | -4.9% |
Materials Engineering graduates earn a median $74,307 one year after completing their program, $95,311 after four years and $89,395 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $74,307 |
| 4 years | $95,311 |
| 5 years | $89,395 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to materials engineering is Architectural and Engineering Managers, with a median salary of $101,277.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $101,277 |
| Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | $89,263 |
| Cost Estimators | $80,966 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $79,889 |
| Materials Engineers | $52,129 |
Materials Engineering includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Materials Engineering (3,220). It has 40 similar majors in the Engineering field, which together award 199,815 degrees a year; the largest are Mechanical Engineering (43,874), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (27,513) and Computer Engineering (21,335). Browse all Engineering majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Materials Engineering | 3,220 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 43,874 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 27,513 |
| Computer Engineering | 21,335 |
| Civil Engineering | 19,856 |
| Engineering, General | 14,789 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 14,592 |
| Chemical Engineering | 10,559 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 10,170 |
| Industrial Engineering | 8,023 |
| Systems Engineering | 4,489 |
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