2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Alabama
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/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 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for materials engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Alabama
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in materials engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools
University Of Alabama At Birmingham tops our 2026 list of the best value materials engineering schools in Alabama. Located in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,098, compared with $22,562 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,162 to complete the materials engineering program here. Materials Engineering graduates of University Of Alabama At Birmingham earn a median of $69,498 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Alabama At Birmingham admits about 88% of applicants.
Auburn University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in materials engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,890, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $22,803. Materials Engineering graduates of Auburn University earn a median of $55,422 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,803 median debt. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
