Materials Engineering

CIP Code: 14.1801

A materials engineering degree prepares graduates for careers in Architectural and engineering managers, Materials engineers, Engineering teachers, postsecondary and more. 112 colleges and universities offer this program.

Annual Degrees Awarded
3,129
Colleges Offering 112
Avg. Career Salary $114,810
Top Career Salary $167,740

Materials Engineering Salary by College

Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $91,449 four years after graduating (middle half: $76,710–$109,151). Where you study it matters: across 34 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $78,250 to $107,557.

Sort by:

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjusted1 yr afterMedian debtOutcome Rating
1Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN$107,557$115,389$78,265$22,111A+
2University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA$106,547$96,951$58,177$7,500A
3California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA$100,599$91,538$74,496$17,000A+
4University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI$98,879$104,256$75,041$16,250A+
5University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL$97,924$96,210$75,080$17,350A+
6Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA$97,904$99,569$74,971$26,324A+
7University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD$97,714$85,755——A+
8Michigan State University East Lansing, MI$95,761$100,969$78,276$24,385A
9University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA$95,314$87,669$71,174$19,485A
10Drexel University Philadelphia, PA$94,694$96,305$78,623$31,000A+
15University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT$93,464$84,147$75,607$27,000B+
14University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT$93,464$84,147$75,607$27,000B+
13University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT$93,464$84,147$75,607$27,000B+
12University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT$93,464$84,147$75,607$27,000B+
11University of Connecticut Storrs, CT$93,464$84,147$75,607$27,000A
16Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA$92,260$95,508$76,488$16,936A+
17Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI$92,070$97,077$63,135$26,000A
18Winona State University Winona, MN$91,528$87,429$72,944$22,000C+
19University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI$91,265$94,966$76,662$20,195A+
20Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA$90,828$82,707$66,888$27,000A
21University of California-Davis Davis, CA$89,983$81,879$74,110$18,777A
22North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC$89,968$96,548$74,058$21,111A
23Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ$89,913$92,387$77,646$23,557B+
24University of Florida Gainesville, FL$87,779$93,430$79,200—A+
25Washington State University Pullman, WA$86,145$79,235$49,560$28,750B
26Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH$86,084$91,865$70,371$19,500A
27Clemson University Clemson, SC$85,883$95,231$69,763$25,246A+
28University of Kentucky Lexington, KY$84,796$96,015——B+
29University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL$83,985$95,330$69,498—B
30University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN$83,945$80,185$60,445$21,018A
31Iowa State University Ames, IA$83,416$87,743$65,831$23,000B+
32Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY$82,947$78,948$66,927$23,250A+
33University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI$82,131$85,461$69,175—C+
34University of North Texas Denton, TX$78,250$79,557—$24,000C+

Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.

What Can You Do With a Materials Engineering Degree?

Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:

Architectural and engineering managers

$167,740 +3.8% growth

Materials engineers

$108,310 +5.7% growth

Engineering teachers, postsecondary

$106,120 +8.1% growth

Cost estimators

$77,070 -4.2% growth
$114,810
Average Salary Across Careers
$167,740
Highest Paying Career
4
Career Paths Available

Best Colleges for Materials Engineering

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in materials engineering.

# College Location Degrees Awarded Repit Grade
1 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 101 A+
2 University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 88 A+
3 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA 114 A
4 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 101 A
5 Northwestern University Evanston, IL 86 A
6 Cornell University Ithaca, NY 83 A
7 Stanford University Stanford, CA 74 A
8 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 69 A
9 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 52 A
10 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 52 A
11 University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA 52 A
12 University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA 44 A
13 University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA 36 A
14 Boston University Boston, MA 33 A
15 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 27 A
16 Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX 121 B+
17 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 113 B+
18 Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN 113 B+
19 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA 107 B+
20 Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 67 B+
21 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 65 B+
22 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC 63 B+
23 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 59 B+
24 University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 59 B+
25 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN 45 B+
26 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN 39 B+
27 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 38 B+
28 Clemson University Clemson, SC 35 B+
29 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 35 B+
30 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 33 B+

Largest Materials Engineering Programs

Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most materials engineering graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.

# College Location Degrees Awarded Repit Grade
1 Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX 121 B+
2 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA 114 A
3 Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN 113 B+
4 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 113 B+
5 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA 107 B+
6 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 101 A+
7 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 101 A
8 University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 88 A+
9 Northwestern University Evanston, IL 86 A
10 Cornell University Ithaca, NY 83 A
11 Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 76 B
12 Stanford University Stanford, CA 74 A
13 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 69 A
14 Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 67 B+
15 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 65 B+
16 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC 63 B+
17 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 59 B+
18 University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 59 B+
19 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 52 A
20 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 52 A
21 University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA 52 A
22 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN 45 B+
23 University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA 44 A
24 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN 39 B+
25 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 38 B+
26 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 37 B
27 University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA 36 A
28 University of North Texas Denton, TX 36 C+
29 Clemson University Clemson, SC 35 B+
30 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 35 B+
3,129
Degrees Awarded Annually
112
Colleges Offering Program
4
Related Careers

About Materials Engineering

Materials Engineering is a degree program offered at 112 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 3,129 students graduate with this degree.

Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as architectural and engineering managers, materials engineers, engineering teachers, postsecondary, cost estimators.

Program Classification

CIP Code 14.1801
Field (2-digit CIP) 14
Category (4-digit CIP) 14.18

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with a Materials Engineering degree?
A Materials Engineering degree can lead to careers as a architectural and engineering managers, materials engineers, engineering teachers, postsecondary, cost estimators, and more. Top earners in related careers can make up to $167,740 annually.
How many colleges offer Materials Engineering?
112 colleges and universities in the United States offer Materials Engineering as a degree program. Each year, approximately 3,129 students graduate with this degree.
What are the best colleges for Materials Engineering?
The best colleges for Materials Engineering based on Repit's ratings include University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of California-Los Angeles, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, University of Florida, Northwestern University. Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.
What is the salary potential with a Materials Engineering degree?
Graduates with a Materials Engineering degree can expect average salaries around $114,810 in related careers, with top earners making up to $167,740. Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.