Materials Engineeringat Clemson University
Graduates earn $69,763/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Materials Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $724K; scenarios range from $643K to $751K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Clemson University
Clemson University's Materials Engineering program produces graduates earning $69,763/yr — within striking distance of the $71,341 national average for this field.
The 11.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 14% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $25,246 in median debt clears quickly against $69,763 in annual earnings.
At #18 out of 33 programs, Clemson University's financial outcomes for Materials Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth is modest: $69,763 to $82,276 over five years (18% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Clemson University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Materials Engineering
How Clemson University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Clemson University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Clemson University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Materials Engineering at Clemson University
How does Clemson University's Materials Engineering program score?
A score of 65/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Clemson University trails the majority of Materials Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Materials Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Materials Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 48% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.