2023 Best Value Colleges for Materials Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
24
Ranked Colleges
658
Degrees Awarded
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 658 people earned their degree in materials sciences, making the major the 265th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, materials sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $64,925 and had an average of $26,966 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in materials sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great materials sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the materials sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Materials Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $5,849 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at Northwestern University
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Materials Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,583 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UCSB
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Delaware landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UD is $17,260 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of Delaware
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 2 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UCR
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 14 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Materials Sciences Report
Florida State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $11,506 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Florida State
University of Arizona came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 27 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $13,644 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at University of Arizona
With a ranking of #10, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northern Arizona University is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 2 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $14,142 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NAU.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at NAU
Colorado State University - Fort Collins came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fort Collins, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Colorado State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,086 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Colorado State Materials Sciences Report
University of Georgia landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 2 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $15,037 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of Georgia
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $14,737 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Wayne State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 8 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Wayne State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $13,612 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at Wayne State University
With a ranking of #15, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. PFW is a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $48-$75k list, PFW has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne is $13,015 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full PFW Materials Sciences Report
University at Buffalo landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 27 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
University at Buffalo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University at Buffalo is $20,841 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University at Buffalo Materials Sciences Report
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Missouri State also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $15,950 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at Missouri State
Michigan State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 11 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $20,557 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at Michigan State University
University of Rochester came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
University of Rochester also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Rochester is $23,108 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Materials Sciences at University of Rochester
Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Oregon State University is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 7 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Oregon State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Oregon State University is $21,716 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Oregon State Materials Sciences Report
Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Rochester, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
RIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $31,935 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend RIT.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at RIT
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNH is a fairly large public school situated in Durham, New Hampshire. It awarded 1 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UNH also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $20,896 for Materials Science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of New Hampshire - Main Campus.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Materials Sciences Report
With a ranking of #23, William Paterson University of New Jersey did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Wayne, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William Paterson University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,749 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William Paterson University of New Jersey.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full William Paterson University of New Jersey Materials Sciences Report
Rowan University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Glassboro, New Jersey is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $48-$75k list, Rowan has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rowan University is $27,278 for materials science students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Rowan
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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