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2027 Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

9 Colleges in the United States
452 Materials Engineering Degrees Awarded
$73,313 Avg Early-Career Salary

Materials Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for materials engineering students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

Best Schools for Materials Engineering in the Middle Atlantic Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Materials Engineering

1

Johns Hopkins University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in materials engineering. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. About 94% of students finish within six years. Johns Hopkins University awarded about 69 materials engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their materials engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University earn around $84,850 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $13,426. More information about a degree in materials engineering from Johns Hopkins University

2

Cornell University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in materials engineering, ranking #2. Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. About 95% of students finish within six years. Cornell University awarded about 102 materials engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Materials Engineering graduates of Cornell University earn a median of $75,976 early in their careers. Cornell University graduates carry a median of $18,000 in student loans. Read more about the materials engineering program at Cornell University

3

A rank of #3 makes Pennsylvania State University Main Campus one of the top schools for materials engineering. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of University Park. About 86% of students finish within six years. About 56 materials engineering degrees were awarded at Pennsylvania State University Main Campus in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Pennsylvania State University Main Campus generally make around $60,523. Typical student debt for the program is $25,266. Read more about the materials engineering program at Pennsylvania State University Main Campus

4
University Of Pennsylvania crest
University Of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

A rank of #4 makes University Of Pennsylvania one of the top schools for materials engineering. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Philadelphia. University Of Pennsylvania graduates 96% of students within six years. University Of Pennsylvania awarded about 81 materials engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their materials engineering degree from University Of Pennsylvania earn around $99,682 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $16,155 to complete this degree. Get the full materials engineering details for University Of Pennsylvania

5

Students looking for a strong materials engineering program will find one at University Of Maryland College Park, which ranked #5. University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park. University Of Maryland College Park graduates 89% of students within six years. About 26 materials engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Maryland College Park in the most recent year. Materials Engineering graduates of University Of Maryland College Park earn a median of $57,901 early in their careers. University Of Maryland College Park graduates carry a median of $20,836 in student loans. More information about a degree in materials engineering from University Of Maryland College Park

6

University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best materials engineering schools. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Pittsburgh. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus graduates 86% of students within six years. About 28 materials engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus generally make around $56,926. Typical student debt for the program is $24,958. Read more about the materials engineering program at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus

7
Lehigh University crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA

Lehigh University landed the #7 spot for materials engineering this year. Set in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 88% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 26 materials engineering students who graduated with this degree at Lehigh University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their materials engineering degree from Lehigh University earn around $74,971 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,324. Read more about the materials engineering program at Lehigh University

8

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #8 spot for materials engineering this year. Set in the city of Troy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates 84% of students within six years. There were roughly 23 materials engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute generally make around $66,927. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete this degree. Read more about the materials engineering program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

9
Drexel University crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA

Drexel University earned the #9 position for materials engineering this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Roughly 78% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 41 materials engineering students who graduated with this degree at Drexel University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Drexel University generally make around $82,063. Typical student debt for the program is $31,000. More information about a degree in materials engineering from Drexel University

Narrow Materials Engineering Schools by State

View All Materials Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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