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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Materials Sciences

59 Ranked Colleges
$33,900 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2021-2022, 642 people earned their degree in materials sciences, making the major the 265th most popular in the United States. In , materials sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $64,925 and had an average of $23,224 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major” ranking analyzed 59 colleges that offered a degree in materials sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their materials sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Materials Sciences Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for materials science students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Materials Sciences

1
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 80 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Carnegie Mellon Materials Sciences Report

2
Norfolk State crest
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia

Out of the 59 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Norfolk State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s materials science students in 2021-2022.

Read more about Materials Sciences at Norfolk State University

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Montana Technological University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major. Montana Tech is a small school located in Butte, Montana that handed out 4 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

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 Materials Sciences at Montana Tech

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Berkeley Materials Sciences Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management is a public institution located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management Materials Sciences Report

6

Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 31 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 88%.

Full RIT Materials Sciences Report

7

With a ranking of #7, William Paterson University of New Jersey did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. William Paterson University is located in Wayne, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s materials science degrees to qualified 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 William Paterson University

8

With a ranking of #8, Stevens Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Hoboken, New Jersey, and it awarded 5 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Sciences at Stevens

9
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Catholic University of America did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking, coming in at #9. Catholic University of America is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 4 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 CUA

10

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Sciences at UW - Eau Claire

11

University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. This fairly large school is located in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and it awarded 5 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UPR Mayaguez Materials Sciences Report

12
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 14 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Materials Sciences at University at Buffalo

13

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 29 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Sciences at Columbia University in the City of New York

14

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 31 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 91%.

Read more about Materials Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

15
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 13 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Materials Sciences at UD

16
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.4% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Materials Sciences at University of Rochester

17
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 19 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Materials Sciences at University of Arizona

18

Pittsburg State University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Materials Sciences at Pitt State

19

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 ’s materials science degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield Materials Sciences Report

20

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking, coming in at #20. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 28 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read more about Materials Sciences at UCR

21
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

With a ranking of #21, University of South Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized public school situated in Vermillion, South Dakota. It awarded 2 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 University of South Dakota

22
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking, coming in at #22. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s materials science degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Sciences at University of Arkansas

23

University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking, coming in at #23. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 15 ’s materials science degrees in 2021-2022.

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 full report on Materials Sciences at UNM

24
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major list. Wayne State is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wayne State Materials Sciences Report

25
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Materials Science Major ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 ’s materials science degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Materials Sciences at Vanderbilt

Notes and References

References

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