2023 Best Value Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $30-$48k)
86
Ranked Colleges
3,415
Degrees Awarded
$6,900
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 3,415 people earned their degree in materials engineering, making the major the 154th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, materials engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,007 and had an average of $23,030 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 86 colleges that offer a degree in materials engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent materials engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the materials engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Materials Engineering Schools
The materials engineering 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 “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 59 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $-2,603 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Materials Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 73 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,581 for materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at Stanford
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $917 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Materials Engineering at Northwestern University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for Materials Engineering 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 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 full report on Materials Engineering at University of Florida
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 Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s materials engineering degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,938 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Pennsylvania
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $5,670 for Materials Engineering 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at U-M
Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,133 for materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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. 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 Materials Engineering at Cornell University
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,853 for materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 more about Materials Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
Washington University in St Louis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 13 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,446 for materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WUSTL.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at WUSTL
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Materials Engineering Report
Johns Hopkins University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $4,859 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Johns Hopkins Materials Engineering Report
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 76 degrees to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,891 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Materials Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 109 degrees to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #13 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 UIUC Materials Engineering Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,399 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 full report on Materials Engineering at UW Seattle
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 114 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $11,712 for materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Materials Engineering Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 59 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
With a ranking of #17, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.
UCSD also took the #18 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,176 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSD.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 94%.
Full UCSD Materials Engineering Report
With a ranking of #18, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 112 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $8,581 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at Ohio State
With a ranking of #19, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Technological University is $8,983 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Michigan Technological University Materials Engineering Report
North Carolina State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 60 degrees to qualified ’s materials engineering students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $9,448 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at NC State
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 92 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $10,628 for materials engineering 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 4.5% 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 Engineering at ASU - Tempe
University of California - Irvine landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 59 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for Materials Engineering 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at UC Irvine
With a ranking of #23, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 18 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $10,063 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Materials Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus
University of California - Davis came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 53 ’s materials engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $11,598 for materials engineering 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Materials Engineering at UC Davis
Lehigh University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lehigh is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lehigh, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh University is $14,995 for Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 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 Lehigh Materials Engineering Report