by our College Data Analytics Team
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their materials engineering graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find where materials engineering graduates earn the most.
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.
University Of Pennsylvania earned the #1 spot for highest-paid materials engineering graduates in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the materials engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $98,625.
Drexel University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in materials engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Drexel University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Early-career materials engineering graduates from Drexel University make a median of around $99,089 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Lehigh University earned it the #3 place for materials engineering. Set in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the materials engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,971.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their materials engineering graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 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.