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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

9 Ranked Colleges
398 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 3,485 people earned their degree in materials engineering, making the major the 150th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, materials engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $63,129 and had an average of $23,918 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 768 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,280 and $25,704 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 398 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer a degree in materials engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great materials engineering programs and 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 materials engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 9 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also took the #3 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $1,994 for southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UF

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 99 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Tech is $9,162 for southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Materials Engineering Report

#3

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s materials engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, NC State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,285 for southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University Materials Engineering Report

#4

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s materials engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,138 for southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Materials Engineering Report

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #5 spot on the list. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 31 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Knoxville is $10,224 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full UT Knoxville Materials Engineering Report

#6

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Clemson has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clemson University is $13,698 for southeast region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Clemson Materials Engineering Report

#7

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #7, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Kentucky is a large school located in Lexington, Kentucky that handed out 15 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UK also took the #7 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UK is $11,848 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Kentucky

University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Birmingham, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

UAB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $14,554 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UAB.

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 Materials Engineering at University of Alabama at Birmingham

#9

Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama
#6 in overall quality

Auburn University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Auburn University is located in Auburn, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Auburn also made our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Auburn is $18,394 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 Materials Engineering at Auburn

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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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