College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering

92 Ranked Colleges
1,090 Degrees Awarded
$79,677 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major” ranking.

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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,090 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major” ranking looked at 92 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in materials engineering. That schools that top this list have a program in materials engineering in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Materials Engineering Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major

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

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

1

Out of the 92 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Socorro, New Mexico, and it awarded 12 masters’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 New Mexico Tech

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 masters’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Materials Engineering at California Institute of Technology

3
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a small school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 6 masters’s materials engineering 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%.

Full South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Materials Engineering Report

5

Out of the 92 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Montana Technological University landed the #5 spot on the list. Montana Tech is a public institution located in Butte, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Montana Technological University Materials Engineering Report

6
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #6. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 masters’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Materials Engineering Report

7
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified masters’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

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. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Full Cornell Materials Engineering Report

8
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Mines is a medium-sized school located in Golden, Colorado that handed out 9 masters’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Colorado School of Mines Materials Engineering Report

9
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Lehigh University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 11 masters’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Lehigh University

10

University of California - San Diego ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 49 masters’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

11
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #11. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s materials engineering degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at UPenn

12
UDayton crest
University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio

With a ranking of #12, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 14 masters’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Dayton Materials Engineering Report

13
Alfred crest
Alfred University
Alfred, New York

Alfred University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Alfred is a private not-for-profit institution located in Alfred, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Alfred

14
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s materials engineering degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 Northwestern University

15

Michigan Technological University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 86%.

Full Michigan Tech Materials Engineering Report

16

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified masters’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

17

University of California - Merced came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified masters’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UC Merced

18
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 masters’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 92%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Boston University

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified masters’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UW Seattle

20

Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Wright State University - Main Campus

21

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 masters’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

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

22

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Troy, New York, and it awarded 5 masters’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at RPI

23
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 13 masters’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 WUSTL

24
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

25
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Materials Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #25. Drexel University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 15 masters’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Drexel Materials Engineering Report

Switch to a Similar Major

General Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for General Engineering

Agricultural Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering

Biomedical Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering

Computer Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering

Engineering Mechanics
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Science
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science

Mechanical Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

Mining Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering

Nuclear Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering

Petroleum Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering

Textile Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Textile Engineering

Construction Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering

Industrial Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering

Operations Research
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Operations Research

Geoscience Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering

Robotics Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Robotics Engineering

Biological Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering

Energy Systems Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Energy Systems Engineering

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

Architectural Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering

Ceramic Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Ceramic Engineering

Civil Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering

Electrical Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering

Engineering Physics
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics

Environmental Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering

Marine Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering

Ocean Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering

Systems Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering

Forest Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Forest Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering

Surveying Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Surveying Engineering

Paper Science & Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering

Biochemical Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Biochemical Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Other Engineering
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options