Bright outlook
Management
Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
Materials Engineering
CIP14.18
98 colleges offer Materials Engineering. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 98
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $91,046
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $20,500
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 10
- Associate's
- 3
- Bachelor's
- 61
- Master's
- 98
- Doctoral
- 83
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 20
What it covers
About Materials Engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and materials science principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of materials and related processes used in manufacturing in a wide variety of settings; the synthesis of new industrial materials, including marrying and bonding composites; analysis of materials requirements and specifications; and related problems of system design dependent on materials factors.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 14.18.
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 10 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Associate's | 3 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Bachelor's | 61 | $91,0464 yrs after · 30 colleges | $20,50017 colleges |
| Master's | 98 | $119,6944 yrs after · 7 colleges | $24,0002 colleges |
| Doctoral | 83 | $128,0184 yrs after · 1 college | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 20 | Not reported | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Materials Engineering graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
West Lafayette, IN · Public · 62 graduates
$107,557
debt $16,974
- 2
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public · 22 graduates
$106,547
debt not reported
- 3
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public · 59 graduates
$100,599
debt $18,500
- 4
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public · 33 graduates
$98,879
debt $20,376
- 5
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public · 65 graduates
$97,924
debt $20,500
- 6
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public · 12 graduates
$97,714
debt not reported
- 7
East Lansing, MI · Public · 15 graduates
$95,761
debt not reported
- 8
University of Washington-Seattle
Seattle, WA · Public · 41 graduates
$95,314
debt $12,841
- 9
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · 17 graduates
$94,694
debt $31,000
- 10
Storrs, CT · Public · 13 graduates
$93,464
debt not reported
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Materials Engineering by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
- Bright outlook
Management
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Bright outlook
Architecture and engineering
Materials Engineers
- Median pay
- $112,860
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Bright outlook
Education
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $109,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Doctoral or professional degree
- Instructing
- Learning Strategies
- Speaking
Business and finance
Cost Estimators
- Median pay
- $78,740
- Outlook
- Decline
Bachelor's degree
- Mathematics
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
More in Engineering
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Engineering, General452 colleges
- Mechanical Engineering395 colleges
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering387 colleges
- Computer Engineering367 colleges
- Civil Engineering300 colleges
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering200 colleges
- Chemical Engineering182 colleges
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering130 colleges
Questions about Materials Engineering
How many colleges offer Materials Engineering?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Materials Engineering at these degree levels: certificate (10 colleges), associate's (3 colleges), bachelor's (61 colleges), master's (98 colleges), doctoral (83 colleges), graduate/professional certificate (20 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Materials Engineering graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Materials Engineering earn $91,046 a year four years after finishing, across 30 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Materials Engineering graduates earn the most?
Purdue University reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Materials Engineering: $107,557 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.