2026 Best Materials Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Materials Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 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 Rocky Mountains 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
Colorado School Of Mines tops our 2026 ranking of the best materials engineering schools. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Golden. Colorado School Of Mines graduates 82% of students within six years. There were roughly 22 materials engineering students who graduated with this degree at Colorado School Of Mines in the most recent data year. Materials Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $76,298 early in their careers. Colorado School Of Mines graduates carry a median of $24,521 in student loans.
Read more about the materials engineering program at Colorado School Of Mines
Metropolitan State College Of Denver came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best materials engineering schools. Located in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public university. Roughly 31% of students complete a degree within six years here. Metropolitan State College Of Denver awarded about 34 materials engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Materials Engineering graduates of Metropolitan State College Of Denver earn a median of $44,861 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $27,484.
More information about a degree in materials engineering from Metropolitan State College Of Denver
Students looking for a strong materials engineering program will find one at University Of Utah, which ranked #3. This very large public university is located in the city of Salt Lake City. The six-year graduation rate is 65%. About 25 materials engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Utah in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Utah generally make around $60,527. University Of Utah graduates carry a median of $20,798 in student loans.
See the full materials engineering program report for University Of Utah
Boise State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best materials engineering schools. Set in the city of Boise, Boise State University is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 59%. There were roughly 31 materials engineering students who graduated with this degree at Boise State University in the most recent data year. Materials Engineering graduates of Boise State University earn a median of $49,059 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete this degree.
See the full materials engineering program report for Boise State University
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
