2023 Best Value Colleges for Materials Sciences (Income $75-$110k)
24
Ranked Colleges
658
Degrees Awarded
$21,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Materials Sciences is the 265th most popular major in the country with 658 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, materials sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $64,925 and had an average of $26,966 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in materials sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality materials sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the materials sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Materials Sciences Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Materials Sciences (Income $75-$110k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 74 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $21,601 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #5 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,686 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 full report on Materials Sciences at Northwestern University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Delaware. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 17 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UD also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $22,093 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Delaware.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UD Materials Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $21,581 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 91%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at UCSB
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
Florida State also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $15,203 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Florida State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Florida State Materials Sciences Report
University of Arizona ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 27 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $18,708 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of Arizona
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 2 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $19,088 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 14 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $16,887 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCR.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UCR
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCLA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $20,697 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCLA Materials Sciences Report
University of Georgia ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Georgia is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 2 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also took the #16 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,630 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UGA.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UGA Materials Sciences Report
University at Buffalo landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University at Buffalo is a large school located in Buffalo, New York that handed out 27 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
University at Buffalo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $21,285 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k 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 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%.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at University at Buffalo
With a ranking of #12, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. NAU is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $17,920 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 Materials Sciences at NAU
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $18,816 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Materials Sciences at UW - Eau Claire
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $17,994 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Missouri State.
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%.
Full Missouri State Materials Sciences Report
Wayne State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s materials science degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $75-$110k list, Wayne State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $17,814 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Wayne State Materials Sciences Report
Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $75-$110k list, PFW has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,322 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Read more about Materials Sciences at PFW
Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, this large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $75-$110k list, Oregon State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $24,916 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Oregon State.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Full Oregon State Materials Sciences Report
Michigan State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 11 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our materials science students whose families make $75-$110k list, Michigan State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $25,297 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Michigan State.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Materials Sciences at Michigan State
William Paterson University of New Jersey came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Wayne, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2020-2021.
William Paterson University also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend William Paterson University of New Jersey is $22,509 for materials science students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at William Paterson University
Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Colorado State also made our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $21,657 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Colorado State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Materials Sciences at Colorado State University - Fort Collins
University of Rochester did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. University of Rochester is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Rochester, New York. It awarded 10 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Rochester also took the #6 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $28,633 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Rochester.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Materials Sciences at University of Rochester
Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at RIT, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $33,469 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Rochester Institute of Technology Materials Sciences Report
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UNH is a fairly large public school situated in Durham, New Hampshire. It awarded 1 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNH, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is $25,820 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Materials Sciences at UNH
Rowan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Materials Science Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Rowan is a fairly large school located in Glassboro, New Jersey that handed out 1 ’s materials science degrees in 2020-2021.
Rowan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Materials Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rowan University is $31,221 for Materials Science students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on Materials Sciences at Rowan University
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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
