2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in the Far Western Region
[General Materials Science](/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for general materials science students.
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2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in the Far Western Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general materials science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Materials Science Schools
Leading the list is University Of California Santa Barbara, our #1 best value for general materials science in the Far Western Region. Set in the suburb of Santa Barbara, University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,444, with out-of-state students paying around $47,332. Typical student debt for general materials science graduates is $15,501. General Materials Science graduates of University Of California Santa Barbara earn a median of $45,488 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,501 median debt. University Of California Santa Barbara admits about 33% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of California Riverside earned it the #2 place for general materials science. University Of California Riverside is a very large public school located in the city of Riverside. In-state tuition and fees average $14,636, with out-of-state students paying around $46,524. Typical student debt for general materials science graduates is $19,187. General Materials Science graduates of University Of California Riverside earn a median of $40,040 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,187 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of California Berkeley one of the best values for general materials science. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,377, while out-of-state students pay about $47,265. General Materials Science graduates carry a median of $14,238 in student loans. General Materials Science graduates of University Of California Berkeley earn a median of $70,847 early in their careers. Set against $14,238 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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.
