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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering

57 Ranked Colleges
1,519 Degrees Awarded
$64,953 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Materials Engineering is the 154th most popular major in the country with 3,415 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,519 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 57 colleges that offered a degree in materials engineering. To top this list, a school must have a successful materials engineering program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Materials Engineering Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Ohio State

2

Out of the 57 schools in the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.

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

Full UIUC Materials Engineering Report

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 66 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Virginia Tech

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 61 bachelors’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%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Materials Engineering at University of Florida

5

Out of the 57 schools in the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Materials Engineering at Georgia Tech

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 53 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at U-M

7
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #7, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 University - Main Campus

7
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Clemson University

9

Iowa State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 42 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Iowa State

10

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

10

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Materials Engineering Report

12

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at UMN Twin Cities

13
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UCONN is a large public school situated in Storrs, Connecticut. It awarded 38 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Connecticut

14

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Materials Engineering Report

15
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Wazzu

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Materials Engineering Report

17

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 34 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Maryland - College Park

18

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Materials Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

19

University of California - Davis came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 31 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of California - Davis

19
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #19, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 31 bachelors’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at North Carolina State University

21

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 30 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Texas A&M College Station Materials Engineering Report

22
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 full report on Materials Engineering at Cornell University

22
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 28 students 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Michigan State University

22

With a ranking of #22, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at UC Irvine

25
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #25, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at U of U

25
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. UK is a large school located in Lexington, Kentucky that handed out 27 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 86%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Kentucky

25

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Pitt is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

25
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Engineering Major for a Bachelor’s list. Drexel University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 27 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Drexel University

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