Materials Engineeringat Drexel University
Graduates earn $78,623/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Materials Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $848K; scenarios range from $736K to $889K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Drexel University
First-year earnings of $78,623 at Drexel University come in 10% above the national median of $71,341 for Materials Engineering programs.
The 3.5x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.
AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $78,623 far exceeding the $31,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
At #25 out of 33 programs, Drexel University's financial outcomes for Materials Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $78,623 to $99,089 shows 26% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
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 Drexel 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 Drexel University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Drexel University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Drexel University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Materials Engineering at Drexel University
How does Drexel University's Materials Engineering program score?
A score of 58/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Drexel 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.