2023 Best Value Colleges for General Materials Science (Income $0-$30k)
19
Ranked Colleges
600
Degrees Awarded
$10,300
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 600 people earned their degree in general materials science, making the major the 538th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in general materials science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general materials science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general materials science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The general materials science 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 General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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 General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for General Materials Science (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s general materials science degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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.
Read full report on General Materials Science at Northwestern
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Materials Science at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s general materials science degrees to qualified students.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,568 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 91%.
Read full report on General Materials Science at University of California - Santa Barbara
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 2 ’s general materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 95%.
Read full report on General Materials Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general materials science degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Materials Science at Michigan State
University of Delaware landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UD is $13,726 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Materials Science at University of Delaware
Florida State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Materials Science at Florida State University
University of Arizona ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s general materials science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $8,987 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about General Materials Science at University of Arizona
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general materials science degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about General Materials Science at UCLA
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 14 ’s general materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list. It costs about $6,810 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Riverside General Materials Science Report
University of Georgia came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $8,303 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Materials Science at University of Georgia
University of Rochester came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 10 ’s general materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Rochester did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Rochester is $12,915 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Materials Science at University of Rochester
University at Buffalo landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 27 ’s general materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
University at Buffalo also made our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,098 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University at Buffalo.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Materials Science at University at Buffalo
With a ranking of #14, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s general materials science degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k list, NAU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $10,520 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Materials Science at NAU
With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $9,547 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Materials Science at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Oregon State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and it awarded 7 ’s general materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Oregon State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Oregon State is $15,242 for general materials science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Oregon State University General Materials Science Report
Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s general materials science degrees to qualified students.
Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Materials Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $12,381 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Materials Science at Missouri State University - Springfield
Wayne State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general materials science degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Wayne State also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,060 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wayne State.
Read full report on General Materials Science at Wayne State University
With a ranking of #19, Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Materials Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rochester Institute of Technology is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s general materials science degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at RIT, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Materials Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $28,322 for General Materials Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend RIT.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 Rochester Institute of Technology General Materials Science Report
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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