Materials Engineering at University of California-Davis

At $74,110/yr, Materials Engineering graduates from University of California-Davis land near the $71,341 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 11.9x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Materials Engineering programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Materials Engineering's typical career paths, with 48% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 14% gap from the optimistic case.

The median debt load of $18,777 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #28 of 33 Materials Engineering programs, University of California-Davis falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.