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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major

79 Ranked Colleges
712 Degrees Awarded
$34,200 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 3,415 people earned their degree in materials engineering, making the major the 154th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, materials engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,007 and had an average of $23,030 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 712 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major” ranking, we looked at 79 colleges that offer a degree in materials engineering. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in materials engineering.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Materials Engineering Schools

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The materials engineering school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree materials engineering students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering

1

Out of the 79 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 8 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at California Institute of Technology

2
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 79 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 27 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at MIT

3
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado School of Mines. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Mines is a public institution located in Golden, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Colorado School of Mines

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is located in Socorro, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at New Mexico Tech

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Stanford University

6

With a ranking of #6, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 37 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

7

Michigan Technological University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Michigan Technological University

8
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 34 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Northwestern

9
Alfred crest
Alfred University
Alfred, New York

Alfred University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Alfred is located in Alfred, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Alfred

10

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

11
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #11. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Purdue

12
Tuskegee crest
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama

With a ranking of #12, Tuskegee University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Located in Tuskegee, Alabama, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Tuskegee University

13

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

14

Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

15
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at WPI

16

With a ranking of #16, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

17

University of California - San Diego landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at University of California - San Diego

18
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #18. Lehigh is a medium-sized school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Lehigh University

19

New Jersey Institute of Technology landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public institution located in Newark, New Jersey. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology

20

Boise State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #20. Boise State University is a large school located in Boise, Idaho that handed out 9 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Boise State

21
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Located in Storrs, Connecticut, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified doctorate’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UCONN

22

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

23
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University Materials Engineering Report

24
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s materials engineering degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Materials Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook

25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 19 doctorate’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Materials Engineering Report

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