2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in California
[General Materials Science](/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general materials science education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general materials science students.
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2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in California
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
For return on investment in general materials science, no school beat University Of California Riverside this year. University Of California Riverside is a very large public school located in the city of Riverside. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,636, compared with $46,524 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general materials science graduates is $19,187. Early-career general materials science graduates make about $40,040. Set against $19,187 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California Riverside admits about 76% of applicants.
University Of California Santa Barbara is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general materials science, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Santa Barbara, University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,444 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $47,332. General Materials Science graduates carry a median of $15,501 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general materials science degree recipients from University Of California Santa Barbara generally make around $45,488. Set against $15,501 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 33% 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. In-state tuition and fees average $15,377, while out-of-state students pay about $47,265. Students borrow a median of $14,238 to complete the general materials science program here. Soon after graduation, general materials science degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley generally make around $70,847. That is a strong return on a $14,238 median debt. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 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.
