2026 Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general materials engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus the best value for a degree in general materials engineering in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $21,926 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $41,430. Students borrow a median of $24,958 to complete the general materials engineering program here. General Materials Engineering graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $56,926 early in their careers. Set against $24,958 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Students looking for strong value in general materials engineering will find it at University Of Pennsylvania, which ranked #2. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,686. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,155 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general materials engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of University Park. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,644, while out-of-state students pay about $41,790. Median earnings reach $63,435 ten years out. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Drexel University one of the best values for general materials engineering. Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. In-state tuition and fees average $62,412. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career general materials engineering graduates make about $82,063. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Drexel University admits about 79% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, 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.
[General Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/general-materials-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general materials engineering education at a price that pays off.
