2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in materials engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools
Purdue University Main Campus earned the #1 spot for value among materials engineering schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,992 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,794. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $21,335. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Purdue University Main Campus generally make around $78,265. Set against $21,335 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a great value for students pursuing a degree in materials engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $17,750. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $75,041. Set against $17,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 16%.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value materials engineering schools. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $17,916. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $75,080. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
Michigan Technological University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value materials engineering schools. Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Houghton. Students from in state pay about $20,532 in tuition and fees, compared with $44,807 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the materials engineering program here. Materials Engineering graduates of Michigan Technological University earn a median of $63,135 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Michigan Technological University admits about 92% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Madison came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value materials engineering schools. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Students borrow a median of $20,676 to complete the materials engineering program here. Materials Engineering graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $76,662 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,676 median debt. The acceptance rate is 45%.
Ohio State University Main Campus earned the #6 position for value in materials engineering this year. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $70,371. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Michigan State University earned the #7 position for value in materials engineering this year. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,925 in student loans. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $78,276. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
Northwestern University earned the #8 position for value in materials engineering this year. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. In-state tuition and fees average $68,322. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete the materials engineering program here. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. The acceptance rate is 8%.
University Of Dayton came in at #9 for value in materials engineering this year. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $49,140 in tuition and fees. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,033 in student loans. Materials Engineering graduates of University Of Dayton earn a median of $56,077 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,033 median debt. University Of Dayton admits about 65% of applicants.
Case Western Reserve University earned the #10 position for value in materials engineering this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,608. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,106 in student loans. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $74,459. That is a strong return on a $25,106 median debt. Roughly 36% of applicants are accepted.
Narrow Materials Engineering Schools by State
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
