2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Virginia
[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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for materials engineering students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools
Leading the list is University Of Virginia Main Campus, our #1 best value for materials engineering in Virginia. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,118, with out-of-state students paying around $61,591. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $18,627. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Virginia Main Campus generally make around $69,126. Set against $18,627 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Virginia Main Campus admits about 17% of applicants.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in materials engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the materials engineering program here. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $66,888. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 55%.
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 · 2 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.
