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2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools

86 Ranked Colleges
3,415 Degrees Awarded
$16,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 3,415 people earned their degree in general materials engineering, making the major the 199th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools” ranking looked at 86 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general materials engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general materials engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general materials engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Materials Engineering Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Materials Processing and Manufacturing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for materials processing and manufacturing students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Materials Engineering

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Dayton. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools. University of Dayton is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 16 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

UDayton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Dayton is $29,928 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Dayton General Materials Engineering Report

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UF

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Purdue

4

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #4 spot on the list. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $18,350 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Texas at Austin General Materials Engineering Report

5

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 42 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $16,002 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Iowa State

6

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking, coming in at #6. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a small school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 7 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $19,919 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students per year to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota School of Mines and Technology General Materials Engineering Report

7

University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking, coming in at #7. Birmingham, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,530 for materials processing and manufacturing students per year to attend UAB.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Alabama at Birmingham

8
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. Winona State is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 20 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,634 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Winona State

9

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at ASU - Skysong

10

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 114 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia Tech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Tech is $14,974 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Georgia Tech

11

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 83 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $18,919 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Texas A&M College Station

12
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking, coming in at #12. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,301 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech General Materials Engineering Report

13
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking, coming in at #13. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 4 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UH is $13,721 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Houston

14
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #14, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $16,411 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at NC State

15

With a ranking of #15, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 92 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $13,107 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Arizona State University - Tempe

16

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking, coming in at #16. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 44 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,122 for materials processing and manufacturing students per year to attend UNT.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UNT

17

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,237 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

18

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UW - Madison

19
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $14,887 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Texas State University

20

University of California - San Diego ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at University of California - San Diego

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 59 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $17,878 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UMN Twin Cities

22
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 43 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $15,300 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Wazzu

23
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #23, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at San Jose State University

24

With a ranking of #24, Boise State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools list. Located in Boise, Idaho, this large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Boise State is $16,153 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Boise State University

25

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools ranking, coming in at #25. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 109 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for materials processing and manufacturing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UIUC

Notes and References

References

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