2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Sciences
42
Ranked Colleges
144
Degrees Awarded
$33,800
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Materials Sciences is the 265th most popular major in the country with 658 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 144 materials sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in materials sciences. To top this list, a school must have a successful materials sciences program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Materials Sciences Schools
The materials science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree materials science students.
Top 29 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Sciences
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s materials science degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Carnegie Mellon
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified doctorate’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full UCSB Materials Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified doctorate’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 96%.
Full UC Berkeley Materials Sciences Report
Out of the 42 schools in the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Delaware landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Delaware is a large school located in Newark, Delaware that handed out 12 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Delaware Materials Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 8 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Riverside Materials Sciences Report
With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Michigan State University Materials Sciences Report
University of Arkansas landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. UARK is a large school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that handed out 6 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UARK
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full WUSTL Materials Sciences Report
Norfolk State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Norfolk State University
University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #10. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 4 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full University at Buffalo Materials Sciences Report
Vanderbilt University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Vanderbilt University
University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Materials Sciences Report
University of South Dakota came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized public school situated in Vermillion, South Dakota. It awarded 4 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at University of South Dakota
Oregon State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Oregon State is a public institution located in Corvallis, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at Oregon State
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of Arizona
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 3 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full Columbia Materials Sciences Report
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 3 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full USC Materials Sciences Report
Central Michigan University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 2 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan Materials Sciences Report
With a ranking of #18, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s materials science degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of Georgia
Montana Technological University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Montana Technological University is located in Butte, Montana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
Full Montana Tech Materials Sciences Report
The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at The University of Alabama
University of Rochester landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Materials Sciences at University of Rochester
Stevens Institute of Technology landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Stevens Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hoboken, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Stevens
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Florida State Materials Sciences Report
With a ranking of #25, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate list. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at Youngstown State University
Rowan University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. Rowan University is located in Glassboro, New Jersey and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at Rowan
With a ranking of #25, University of Vermont did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Burlington, Vermont, this fairly large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UVM
Wayne State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Wayne State
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Materials Science Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 1 doctorate’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 95%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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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