by our College Data Analytics Team
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a materials engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the early-career earnings of their materials engineering graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send materials engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in materials engineering, no school beat Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus this year. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career materials engineering graduates from Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus make a median of around $89,572 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in materials engineering will find them at University Of Florida, which ranked #2. University Of Florida is a public school located in the city of Gainesville. After graduating, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Florida typically earn about $86,081 annually.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham produces some of the highest-paid graduates in materials engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a public institution. After graduating, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Alabama At Birmingham typically earn about $88,034 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University one of the highest-paying schools for materials engineering. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public institution. Students who complete the materials engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $90,734.
Clemson University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying materials engineering schools. Clemson University is a public school located in the suburb of Clemson. Materials Engineering graduates of Clemson University earn a median of about $82,276 a year early in their careers.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying materials engineering schools. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public institution. Early-career materials engineering graduates from North Carolina State University At Raleigh make a median of around $74,058 per year.
The University Of Tennessee earned the #7 position for materials engineering graduate earnings this year. The University Of Tennessee is a public school located in the city of Knoxville. Students who complete the materials engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,505.
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 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.