2027 Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania
[General Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/general-materials-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general materials engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools
University Of Pennsylvania tops our 2027 list of the best value general materials engineering schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,686 in tuition and fees. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,155 in student loans. Early-career general materials engineering graduates make about $99,682. That is a strong return on a $16,155 median debt. University Of Pennsylvania admits about 5% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general materials engineering will find it at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $21,926 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans. Early-career general materials engineering graduates make about $56,926. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus admits about 58% of applicants.
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general materials engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,644, compared with $41,790 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general materials engineering graduates is $25,266. General Materials Engineering graduates of Pennsylvania State University Main Campus earn a median of $60,523 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,266 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.
A rank of #4 makes Lehigh University one of the best values for general materials engineering. Set in the city of Bethlehem, Lehigh University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $64,980. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,324 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general materials engineering degree recipients from Lehigh University generally make around $74,971. Set against $26,324 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 26% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general materials engineering will find it at Drexel University, which ranked #5. Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Students from in state pay about $62,412 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the general materials engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general materials engineering degree recipients from Drexel University generally make around $82,063. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Drexel University admits about 79% of applicants.
More General Materials Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
