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2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

86 Ranked Colleges
3,415 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 3,415 people earned their degree in general materials engineering, making the major the 199th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 86 colleges that offered a degree in general materials engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general materials engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general materials engineering program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Materials Engineering (Income $30-$48k)

1
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 59 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $-2,603 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at MIT

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,581 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Stanford University

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 86 schools in the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 82 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $917 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Northwestern

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 163 students in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Florida

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

UPenn also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Pennsylvania

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 119 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at U-M

7
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 81 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cornell has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,133 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Cornell University

8
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 97 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

9
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full WUSTL General Materials Engineering Report

10

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 60 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,788 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

11
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on General Materials Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

12

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 76 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,891 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about General Materials Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

13

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 109 diplomas to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,036 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

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 2.3% 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 General Materials Engineering at UIUC

14

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 92 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,399 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

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 93%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

15

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $11,712 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at Georgia Tech

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 59 degrees to qualified ’s materials processing and manufacturing students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,609 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UMN Twin Cities

17

University of California - San Diego landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $11,176 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UCSD

18

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 112 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,581 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Ohio State General Materials Engineering Report

19

Michigan Technological University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 36 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Michigan Technological University is $8,983 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 General Materials Engineering at Michigan Tech

20
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 60 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $9,448 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full North Carolina State University General Materials Engineering Report

21

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 92 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $10,628 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe General Materials Engineering Report

22

University of California - Irvine ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 59 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for Materials Processing and Manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at University of California - Irvine

23
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also made our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $10,063 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia General Materials Engineering Report

24

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $11,598 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Materials Engineering at UC Davis

25
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #25, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Processing and Manufacturing Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lehigh is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s materials processing and manufacturing degrees to qualified students.

Lehigh also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,995 for materials processing and manufacturing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehigh University.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about General Materials Engineering at Lehigh University

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