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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
63/100
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.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public 		73
71–74 		$74,496/yr 23.3x
2 University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public 		73
71–74 		$79,200/yr 32.7x
3 University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL · Public 		71
69–72 		$69,498/yr 23.9x
4 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA · Public 		71
68–72 		$76,488/yr 18.0x
5 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public 		71
69–72 		$71,174/yr 18.5x
6 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public 		70
68–71 		$76,662/yr 18.0x
7 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public 		69
67–70 		$75,080/yr 14.1x
8 Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public 		69
68–70 		$65,831/yr 19.9x
9 Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public 		69
67–71 		$78,276/yr 14.0x
10 Winona State University
Winona, MN · Public 		69
67–71 		$72,944/yr 18.8x
11 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public 		69
67–70 		$70,371/yr 16.9x
12 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public 		68
66–69 		$75,041/yr 12.9x
13 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public 		66
65–68 		$66,888/yr 13.7x
14 University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public 		66
63–67 		$75,607/yr 11.4x
15 University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT · Public 		66
63–67 		$75,607/yr 11.4x
16 University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT · Public 		66
63–67 		$75,607/yr 11.4x
17 University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT · Public 		66
63–67 		$75,607/yr 11.4x
18 Clemson University
Clemson, SC · Public 		65
63–66 		$69,763/yr 12.2x
19 University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT · Public 		64
62–65 		$75,607/yr 9.7x
20 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public 		64
63–65 		$60,445/yr 12.6x
21 Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI · Public 		61
60–63 		$63,135/yr 10.1x
22 Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public 		61
58–62 		$78,265/yr 18.6x
23 North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public 		60
58–61 		$74,058/yr 19.8x
24 Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public 		59
56–60 		$77,646/yr 15.1x
25 Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit 		58
56–60 		$78,623/yr 3.1x
26 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · Public 		58
56–59 		$69,175/yr 16.3x
27 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit 		56
54–57 		$65,919/yr 3.1x
28 University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public 		55
53–56 		$74,110/yr 11.2x
29 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public 		53
51–54 		$63,505/yr 10.8x
30 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Private nonprofit 		52
50–53 		$66,927/yr 2.4x
31 University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public 		50
49–51 		$58,177/yr 9.2x
32 Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit 		47
45–48 		$74,971/yr 2.0x
33 Washington State University
Pullman, WA · Public 		47
46–48 		$49,560/yr 8.5x

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, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #1 for Materials Engineering with a score of 73/100 and graduate earnings of $74,496/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.