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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Materials Engineering

53 Ranked Colleges
1,627 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Materials Engineering is the 189th most popular major in the country with 3,485 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,627 general materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general materials engineering program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Materials Engineering

#1

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 18 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Winona State General Materials Engineering Report

#22 in overall quality

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 55 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $15,496 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Iowa State

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students list, Purdue has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students list, UF has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UF

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #5 spot on the list. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#11 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo General Materials Engineering Report

#7

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $21,198 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students per year to attend Virginia Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Virginia Tech

University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. UAB is a public institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Alabama at Birmingham is $16,953 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UAB

#7 in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 99 degrees to qualified bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Tech is $14,739 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus General Materials Engineering Report

#10

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at San Jose State University

#11

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $16,458 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about General Materials Engineering at NC State

#19 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 27 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt is $27,938 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus General Materials Engineering Report

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s list. New Mexico Tech is located in Socorro, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Tech is $14,595 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at New Mexico Tech

Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 13 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus General Materials Engineering Report

#15

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $17,740 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#16

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $16,358 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington State University General Materials Engineering Report

#17

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

With a ranking of #17, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $15,086 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UNT

University of Nevada - Reno came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UNR is a large school located in Reno, Nevada that handed out 9 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNR is $15,081 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UNR

#8 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UIUC

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Materials Processing and Manufacturing students.

The 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Ohio State

#21

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Utah is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 27 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,773 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students per year to attend U of U.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Utah

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $18,825 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UT Knoxville

#23

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho

Boise State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #23. Boise State is located in Boise, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Boise State University is $15,787 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

Full Boise State University General Materials Engineering Report

#24

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Moscow, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Idaho is $14,132 for bachelor’s degree materials processing and manufacturing students.

Full U of I General Materials Engineering Report

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 31 bachelors’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $11,706 for bachelor’s degree 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.

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

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Panoramedia.

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