2026 Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools in New York
[General Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/general-materials-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for general materials engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools
Leading the list is Stony Brook University, our #1 best value for general materials engineering in New York. Stony Brook University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Stony Brook. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,931, with out-of-state students paying around $32,741. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,537 in student loans. Early-career general materials engineering graduates make about $60,047. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 49% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cornell University earned it the #2 place for general materials engineering. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $69,314 in tuition and fees. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $18,000 in student loans. General Materials Engineering graduates of Cornell University earn a median of $75,976 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 9%.
A rank of #3 makes Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute one of the best values for general materials engineering. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. In-state tuition and fees average $64,078. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the general materials engineering program here. Early-career general materials engineering graduates make about $66,927. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 64%.
More General Materials Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
