by our College Data Analytics Team
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying materials engineering schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send materials engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, our #1 for materials engineering graduate salaries in the Far Western Region. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. After graduating, materials engineering degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo typically earn about $107,726 annually.
University Of Washington Seattle Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying materials engineering schools. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the materials engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $98,760.
University Of California Davis came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying materials engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a public institution. Students who complete the materials engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,110.
A rank of #4 makes University Of California Irvine one of the highest-paying schools for materials engineering. University Of California Irvine is a public school located in the city of Irvine. Early-career materials engineering graduates from University Of California Irvine make a median of around $58,177 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Washington State University earned it the #5 place for materials engineering. Located in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a public institution. After graduating, materials engineering degree recipients from Washington State University typically earn about $49,560 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries materials engineering graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.