2027 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Colorado

[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.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value materials engineering schools.
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2027 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in materials engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools
For return on investment in materials engineering, no school beat Metropolitan State College Of Denver this year. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,124, compared with $30,684 for out-of-state students. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,484 in student loans. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Metropolitan State College Of Denver generally make around $44,861. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Metropolitan State College Of Denver admits about 99% of applicants.
University Of Colorado Boulder came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value materials engineering schools. Located in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,214 in tuition and fees, compared with $42,970 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $20,373. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder generally make around $55,861. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Colorado School Of Mines earned it the #3 place for materials engineering. Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Golden. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,914, compared with $45,824 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,521 to complete the materials engineering program here. Materials Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $76,298 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 61%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.