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2023 Best Value Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

86 Ranked Colleges
3,415 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 3,415 people earned their degree in materials engineering, making the major the 154th most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 86 colleges that offered a degree in materials engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality materials engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the materials engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 73 diplomas to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #3 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $7,081 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Stanford University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, MIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,834 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MIT.

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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 82 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $5,849 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Northwestern University Materials Engineering Report

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 163 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UF is $8,394 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Full University of Florida Materials Engineering Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,481 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

6
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s materials engineering degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $8,457 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 Materials Engineering at Johns Hopkins

7
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 81 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $9,785 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 9 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 96%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Cornell University

8
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #8, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 97 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Purdue has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue.

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

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

9
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 58 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UPenn has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,020 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UPenn.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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.

Full University of Pennsylvania Materials Engineering Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, WUSTL has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,149 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at WUSTL

11

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. 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.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Materials Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

12

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 92 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

13

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #12 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,364 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Materials Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

14

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 109 diplomas to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $11,505 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

15

With a ranking of #15, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $15,415 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 Institute of Technology - Main Campus

16

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 112 diplomas to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,273 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus Materials Engineering Report

17

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 59 degrees to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $12,911 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Materials Engineering Report

18

University of California - San Diego came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,310 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of California - San Diego Materials Engineering Report

19

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,275 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Materials Engineering Report

20
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 18 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $16,019 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus

21

University of California - Davis came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 53 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,193 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.5% 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 University of California - Davis

22

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 36 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,794 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Michigan Technological University

23
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #23, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials engineering degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend NC State is $14,424 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 94%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at North Carolina State University

24

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $15,561 for materials engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at ASU - Tempe

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials engineering degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,426 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCF.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 more about Materials Engineering at UCF

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