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2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

20 Ranked Colleges
704 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Materials Engineering is the 154th most popular major in the country with 3,415 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, materials engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,007 and had an average of $23,030 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 704 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,117 and $22,363 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 20 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.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $371 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke University.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Duke

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 163 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $65 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

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 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 Materials Engineering at UF

3

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 #3 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Georgia Tech is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 114 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech also made our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $8,818 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.

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

Read more about Materials Engineering at Georgia Tech

4
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #4 spot on the list. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 60 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Materials Engineering at North Carolina State University

5
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 18 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 Materials Engineering at University of Virginia

6
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Virginia Tech also took the #3 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $11,934 for southeast region 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 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Virginia Tech

7

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 23 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF also took the #13 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $4,468 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at University of Central Florida

8

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 57 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,433 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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

9

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at USF Tampa

10
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Clemson University is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Clemson has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,744 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Clemson.

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

Read more about Materials Engineering at Clemson University

11

Florida International University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 9 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, FIU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $3,196 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FIU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Materials Engineering at Florida International University

12
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #12, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UK is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UK also took the #11 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,593 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kentucky.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full UK Materials Engineering Report

13
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Mississippi is a large school located in University, Mississippi that handed out 3 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,764 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Mississippi.

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 Mississippi

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UAB is a large public school situated in Birmingham, Alabama. It awarded 29 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UAB, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Alabama at Birmingham is $13,443 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Alabama at Birmingham Materials Engineering Report

15
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials engineering degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

UARK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,003 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UARK.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at UARK

16
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WVU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,014 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at WVU

17
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Auburn University is located in Auburn, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Auburn also made our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $17,866 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Auburn.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Auburn

18
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UA is a large school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that handed out 2 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $17,523 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Alabama.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full The University of Alabama Materials Engineering Report

19
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tulane is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tulane has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tulane is $12,456 for southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Tulane

20
Tuskegee crest
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama

Tuskegee University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tuskegee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tuskegee, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region materials engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tuskegee has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $36,841 for Southeast Region Materials Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tuskegee University.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Tuskegee University

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