2027 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong materials engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for materials engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools
University Of Pennsylvania earned the #1 spot for value among materials engineering schools in Pennsylvania. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,686. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,155 in student loans. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. Set against $16,155 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 5%.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value materials engineering schools. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Pittsburgh. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,926, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $56,926. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Students looking for strong value in materials engineering will find it at Pennsylvania State University Main Campus, which ranked #3. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of University Park. In-state tuition and fees average $20,644, with out-of-state students paying around $41,790. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,266 in student loans. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Pennsylvania State University Main Campus generally make around $60,523. Set against $25,266 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
Lehigh University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value materials engineering schools. Set in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $64,980. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $26,324. Materials Engineering graduates of Lehigh University earn a median of $74,971 early in their careers. Set against $26,324 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 26%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Drexel University earned it the #5 place for materials engineering. Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Students from in state pay about $62,412 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the materials engineering program here. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $82,063. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
More Materials Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
