2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in materials engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Minnesota Twin Cities the best value for a degree in materials engineering in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $21,250. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $60,445. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities admits about 80% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Winona State University earned it the #2 place for materials engineering. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,576 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,308. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,000 in student loans. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $72,944. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Winona State University admits about 76% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Iowa State University one of the best values for materials engineering. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Students borrow a median of $23,125 to complete the materials engineering program here. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $65,831. That is a strong return on a $23,125 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
A rank of #4 makes Washington University In St Louis one of the best values for materials engineering. Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. In-state tuition and fees average $65,790. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $17,553 in student loans. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $68,303. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 8 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.
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong materials engineering education at a price that pays off.
