2027 Best Value Materials Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools
[Materials Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong materials sciences education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value materials sciences schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Materials Sciences Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the materials sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Materials Sciences Schools
University Of California Berkeley tops our 2027 list of the best value materials sciences schools in the United States. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,377 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $47,265. Typical student debt for materials sciences graduates is $14,238. Early-career materials sciences graduates make about $70,847. That is a strong return on a $14,238 median debt. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Delaware one of the best values for materials sciences. Located in the suburb of Newark, University Of Delaware is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $16,810 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $41,400. Materials Sciences graduates carry a median of $24,861 in student loans. Materials Sciences graduates of University Of Delaware earn a median of $54,155 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,861 median debt. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in materials sciences will find it at Carnegie Mellon University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,636. Materials Sciences graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans. Materials Sciences graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn a median of $89,327 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,529 median debt. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in materials sciences, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,644, with out-of-state students paying around $41,790. Typical student debt for materials sciences graduates is $24,750. Soon after graduation, materials sciences degree recipients from Pennsylvania State University Main Campus generally make around $72,216. Set against $24,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Other Materials Sciences Degree Levels
Explore the best-value materials sciences schools at other degree levels:
View All Materials Sciences Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
