2027 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong materials engineering education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for materials engineering students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region
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
Leading the list is University Of Florida, our #1 best value for materials engineering in the Southeast Region. Located in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,381, while out-of-state students pay about $28,659. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $17,669 in student loans. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $88,363. That is a strong return on a $17,669 median debt. University Of Florida admits about 24% of applicants.
Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in materials engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,058, while out-of-state students pay about $34,484. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $17,123 in student loans. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus generally make around $76,488. Set against $17,123 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Central Florida is a great value for students pursuing a degree in materials engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Orlando, University Of Central Florida is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,368, compared with $22,467 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,620 to complete the materials engineering program here. Materials Engineering graduates of University Of Central Florida earn a median of $51,790 early in their careers. Set against $21,620 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 40%.
Students looking for strong value in materials engineering will find it at North Carolina State University At Raleigh, which ranked #4. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. In-state tuition and fees average $8,799, while out-of-state students pay about $32,847. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $21,111. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $74,058. Set against $21,111 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in materials engineering will find it at The University Of Tennessee, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the materials engineering program here. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $63,505. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
University Of Kentucky landed the #6 spot for materials engineering value this year. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,502, with out-of-state students paying around $34,140. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $24,094. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $49,568. Set against $24,094 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
University Of Virginia Main Campus landed the #7 spot for materials engineering value this year. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,118, while out-of-state students pay about $61,591. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $18,627. Materials Engineering graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $69,126 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,627 median debt. The acceptance rate is 17%.
Clemson University earned the #8 position for value in materials engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,554, while out-of-state students pay about $40,866. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $25,243. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Clemson University generally make around $69,763. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Auburn University landed the #9 spot for materials engineering value this year. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. In-state tuition and fees average $12,890, with out-of-state students paying around $34,922. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,803 in student loans. Materials Engineering graduates of Auburn University earn a median of $55,422 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,803 median debt. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University placed #10 among the best values for materials engineering. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, with out-of-state students paying around $37,764. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $66,888. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
