Best Schools for Materials Engineering in 2026
33 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Materials Engineering, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Materials Engineering graduate earns $71,341/yr across 33 schools.
Programs Ranked
33
Avg Earnings
$71,341/yr
Avg DW Score
65/100
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
All Materials Engineering Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Materials Engineering
University of Florida · Gainesville, FL |
74
68–75 |
$79,200/yr | High | 32.7x |
| 2 |
Materials Engineering
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA |
71
65–73 |
$74,496/yr | High | 23.3x |
| 3 |
Materials Engineering
University of Alabama at Birmingham · Birmingham, AL |
71
65–72 |
$69,498/yr | High | 23.9x |
| 4 |
Materials Engineering
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC |
72
66–73 |
$74,058/yr | High | 19.8x |
| 5 |
Materials Engineering
Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN |
72
67–73 |
$78,265/yr | High | 18.6x |
| 6 |
Materials Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA |
70
65–71 |
$76,488/yr | High | 18.0x |
| 7 |
Materials Engineering
Winona State University · Winona, MN |
70
65–71 |
$72,944/yr | High | 18.8x |
| 8 |
Materials Engineering
University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA |
69
63–71 |
$71,174/yr | High | 18.5x |
| 9 |
Materials Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI |
71
65–71 |
$76,662/yr | High | 18.0x |
| 10 |
Materials Engineering
Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ |
70
65–71 |
$77,646/yr | High | 15.1x |
| 11 |
Materials Engineering
Iowa State University · Ames, IA |
68
63–70 |
$65,831/yr | High | 19.9x |
| 12 |
Materials Engineering
Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI |
68
62–68 |
$78,276/yr | High | 14.0x |
| 13 |
Materials Engineering
Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH |
68
62–69 |
$70,371/yr | High | 16.9x |
| 14 |
Materials Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI |
69
64–70 |
$69,175/yr | High | 16.3x |
| 15 |
Materials Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
67
61–68 |
$75,080/yr | High | 14.1x |
| 16 |
Materials Engineering
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI |
66
60–66 |
$75,041/yr | High | 12.9x |
| 17 |
Materials Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA |
64
58–66 |
$66,888/yr | High | 13.7x |
| 18 |
Materials Engineering
University of California-Davis · Davis, CA |
66
62–66 |
$74,110/yr | High | 11.2x |
| 19 |
Materials Engineering
Clemson University · Clemson, SC |
64
59–64 |
$69,763/yr | High | 12.2x |
| 20 |
Materials Engineering
University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus · Waterbury, CT |
65
60–64 |
$75,607/yr | High | 11.4x |
| 21 |
Materials Engineering
University of Connecticut-Avery Point · Groton, CT |
65
60–64 |
$75,607/yr | High | 11.4x |
| 22 |
Materials Engineering
University of Connecticut-Stamford · Stamford, CT |
65
60–64 |
$75,607/yr | High | 11.4x |
| 23 |
Materials Engineering
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus · Hartford, CT |
65
60–64 |
$75,607/yr | High | 11.4x |
| 24 |
Materials Engineering
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN |
61
54–64 |
$60,445/yr | High | 12.6x |
| 25 |
Materials Engineering
University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT |
62
58–62 |
$75,607/yr | High | 9.7x |
| 26 |
Materials Engineering
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
63
59–63 |
$63,505/yr | High | 10.8x |
| 27 |
Materials Engineering
Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI |
59
54–61 |
$63,135/yr | High | 10.1x |
| 28 |
Materials Engineering
University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA |
60
56–60 |
$58,177/yr | High | 9.2x |
| 29 |
Materials Engineering
Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA |
54
49–56 |
$78,623/yr | High | 3.1x |
| 30 |
Materials Engineering
Washington State University · Pullman, WA |
56
52–56 |
$49,560/yr | High | 8.5x |
| 31 |
Materials Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA |
51
45–53 |
$65,919/yr | High | 3.1x |
| 32 |
Materials Engineering
Lehigh University · Bethlehem, PA |
52
47–53 |
$74,971/yr | High | 2.0x |
| 33 |
Materials Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY |
50
45–51 |
$66,927/yr | High | 2.4x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Materials Engineering?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, University of Florida ranks #1 for Materials Engineering with a score of 74/100 and graduate earnings of $79,200/yr.
How much do Materials Engineering graduates earn?
Across 33 schools, Materials Engineering graduates earn an average of $71,341/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $79,200/yr.
Is Materials Engineering a good major for AI resistance?
Materials Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 54%, rated "High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.