Home Schools UConn Waterbury Materials Engineering
Engineering · Materials Engineering Rank #14 of 33

Materials Engineeringat University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus

Graduates earn $75,607/yr in their first year — about 6.0% above the national Materials Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $752K; scenarios range from $664K to $782K depending on AI disruption.

Waterbury, CT Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
66 SOLID
67
Optimistic
63
Pessimistic
Earnings
$75,607
1-year post-graduation
ROI
11.4x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$752K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UConn Waterbury

University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus's Materials Engineering graduates start at $75,607/yr — above the $71,341 national average, though not by a wide margin.

With a 10.8x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 15% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Materials Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $27,000 in median debt clears quickly against $75,607 in annual earnings.

A #14 ranking among 33 Materials Engineering programs places University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.

The limited growth from $75,607 to $86,829 over five years suggests earnings in this field plateau relatively early in one's career.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$664K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score63/100
Earnings Multiple9.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$752K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple10.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$782K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score67/100
Earnings Multiple11.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UConn Waterbury's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Materials Engineering graduates typically work

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.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Materials engineers
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
$108,310/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Cost estimators
-4.2% 10-yr growth · 16,900 openings/yr
$77,070/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Materials Engineering

How UConn Waterbury stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Florida
FL · Public
73
DW Score
$79K
1-yr earn
32.7x
ROI
Michigan State University
MI · Public
69
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
14.0x
ROI
University of Wisconsin-Madison
WI · Public
70
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
18.0x
ROI
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
71
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
18.0x
ROI
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
IL · Public
69
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
14.1x
ROI
Also at UConn Waterbury

Other top programs at UConn Waterbury

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UConn Waterbury, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Materials Engineering at UConn Waterbury

What does a 66/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Materials Engineering at University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus?

At 66/100, University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus's Materials Engineering program delivers middling returns. School cost and personal fit become important decision factors.

Should I worry about AI if I study Materials Engineering at University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus?

The 48% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.