Engineering ยท bachelor's degree
Materials Engineering major: colleges and pay
59 colleges in our data award bachelor's degrees in materials engineering, 1,194 of them in 2023-24. Graduates of the typical program earned $77,204 a year after graduating and $91,046 four years after.
Colleges where materials engineering graduates earn the most
Programs with at least 10 graduates in 2023-24, ranked by median earnings four years after graduation.
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN | 62 | $79,562 | $107,557 | $16,974 |
| University of California-IrvineIrvine, CA | 22 | $76,070 | $106,547 | n/a |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA | 59 | $77,737 | $100,599 | $18,500 |
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | 33 | $83,880 | $98,879 | $20,376 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL | 65 | $75,772 | $97,924 | $20,500 |
| University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD | 12 | $74,976 | $97,714 | n/a |
| Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI | 15 | $80,657 | $95,761 | n/a |
| University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA | 41 | $83,654 | $95,314 | $12,841 |
| Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 17 | $84,983 | $94,694 | $31,000 |
| University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT | 13 | $74,178 | $93,464 | n/a |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA | 60 | n/a | $92,260 | $20,000 |
| Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI | 24 | $87,441 | $92,070 | $27,000 |
| Winona State UniversityWinona, MN | 22 | $70,261 | $91,528 | $22,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | 40 | $77,204 | $91,265 | $27,000 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, VA | 37 | $78,513 | $90,828 | $21,271 |
| University of California-DavisDavis, CA | 14 | $87,472 | $89,983 | n/a |
| North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, NC | 25 | $74,926 | $89,968 | $17,978 |
| Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, AZ | 31 | $86,291 | $89,913 | n/a |
| University of FloridaGainesville, FL | 35 | $75,832 | $87,779 | n/a |
| Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, OH | 30 | $78,333 | $86,084 | $19,500 |
| Clemson UniversityClemson, SC | 16 | $74,683 | $85,883 | $22,849 |
| University of KentuckyLexington, KY | 19 | $78,014 | $84,796 | n/a |
| University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL | 12 | n/a | $83,985 | n/a |
| University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN | 25 | $79,158 | $83,945 | n/a |
| Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA | 30 | $72,014 | $83,416 | $25,500 |
Largest materials engineering programs
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL | 65 | $75,772 | $97,924 | $20,500 |
| Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN | 62 | $79,562 | $107,557 | $16,974 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA | 60 | n/a | $92,260 | $20,000 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA | 59 | $77,737 | $100,599 | $18,500 |
| Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX | 56 | $77,713 | n/a | $20,317 |
| University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA | 41 | $83,654 | $95,314 | $12,841 |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | 40 | $77,204 | $91,265 | $27,000 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, VA | 37 | $78,513 | $90,828 | $21,271 |
| University of FloridaGainesville, FL | 35 | $75,832 | $87,779 | n/a |
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | 33 | $83,880 | $98,879 | $20,376 |
| Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, AZ | 31 | $86,291 | $89,913 | n/a |
| Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, OH | 30 | $78,333 | $86,084 | $19,500 |
| Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA | 30 | $72,014 | $83,416 | $25,500 |
| University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | 28 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY | 26 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Graduate degrees in materials engineering
Master's: 94 programs, $104,900 first-year earnings; Doctoral: 76 programs, $136,057 first-year earnings. Compare graduate programs.
Every college with a materials engineering major
Frequently asked questions
How much do materials engineering majors make?
Graduates of the typical materials engineering program earned a median of $77,204 one year after graduation and $91,046 four years after, in 2024 dollars.
Which college has the highest-paid materials engineering graduates?
Purdue University-Main Campus, where graduates earned a median of $107,557 four years after graduation (programs with at least 10 graduates).
How many colleges offer a materials engineering major?
59 colleges on the College Scorecard awarded bachelor's degrees in materials engineering in 2022-23 or 2023-24.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.