2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in the Southeast Region
[General Materials Science](/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general materials science schools.
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2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general materials science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Materials Science Schools
Leading the list is The University Of Alabama, our #1 best value for general materials science in the Southeast Region. The University Of Alabama is a very large public school located in the city of Tuscaloosa. In-state tuition and fees average $12,180, with out-of-state students paying around $34,172. Students borrow a median of $24,496 to complete the general materials science program here. General Materials Science graduates of The University Of Alabama earn a median of $50,740 early in their careers. Set against $24,496 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
