College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2023 Most Popular Colleges for General Materials Engineering

107 Ranked Colleges
3,415 Degrees Awarded
$35,500 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major

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

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 “Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major” ranking analyzed 107 colleges that offered a degree in general materials engineering. To top this list, a school must have a successful general materials engineering program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major

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

1

Out of the 107 schools in the Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 119 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus General Materials Engineering Report

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 163 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Florida

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 112 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Ohio State

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 109 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Materials Engineering Report

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

7

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 92 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UW Seattle

7

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full ASU - Tempe General Materials Engineering Report

9
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech General Materials Engineering Report

10
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking, coming in at #10. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 82 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Northwestern University

11
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #11, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 81 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Cornell University

12

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UCLA

13

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking, coming in at #13. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 83 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M College Station General Materials Engineering Report

14
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University General Materials Engineering Report

15

University of California - San Diego landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 72 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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 full report on General Materials Engineering at UCSD

16

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 60 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UW - Madison

16
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 60 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 NC State General Materials Engineering Report

18

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. MIT is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 59 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Materials Engineering Report

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 59 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at University of California - Irvine

18

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

18
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Clemson, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 59 degrees to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Clemson University

22
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UPenn

23

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 57 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville General Materials Engineering Report

24
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major ranking. Storrs, Connecticut is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 UCONN

25

With a ranking of #25, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Processing and Manufacturing Major list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 53 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at UC Davis

Notes and References

References

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