Forensic materials engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a forensic materials engineer. Forensic materials engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. 87% of forensic materials engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 86 real forensic materials engineer resumes to see exactly what forensic materials engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for forensic materials engineers are the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

There are also many online forensic materials engineer courses to help get the education required to be a forensic materials engineer.

What education do you need to become a forensic materials engineer?

What degree do you need to be a forensic materials engineer?

The most common degree for forensic materials engineers is bachelor's degree, with 87% of forensic materials engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 8% and master's degree degree at 3%.

Bachelor's, 87%

Master's, 8%

Associate, 3%

Doctorate, 2%

What should I major in to become a forensic materials engineer?

You should major in civil engineering to become a forensic materials engineer. 33% of forensic materials engineers major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a forensic materials engineer include mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.

Civil Engineering, 33%

Mechanical Engineering, 19%

Electrical Engineering, 9%

Criminal Justice, 6%

Other Majors, 33%

Most common colleges for forensic materials engineers

Forensic materials engineers often get their degrees at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, and University of Colorado at Boulder. Here are the most common colleges for forensic materials engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Forensic materials engineer common college	Percentages
New Jersey Institute of Technology	10.00%
Syracuse University	6.67%
University of Colorado at Boulder	6.67%
University of Florida	6.67%
California State University - Fresno	6.67%

Show more common forensic materials engineer colleges

Best majors for forensic materials engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	32.8%
2	Mechanical Engineering	19.4%
3	Electrical Engineering	9.0%
4	Criminal Justice	6.0%
5	General Studies	3.0%

Show more common forensic materials engineer majors

Best colleges for forensic materials engineers

The best colleges for forensic materials engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A forensic materials engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for forensic materials engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become forensic materials engineers.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for forensic materials engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for forensic materials engineers

The most affordable schools for forensic materials engineers are University of Florida, new mexico institute of mining and technology, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for forensic materials engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for forensic materials engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for forensic materials engineers

The hardest universities for forensic materials engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for forensic materials engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for forensic materials engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for forensic materials engineers

The easiest schools for forensic materials engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, the university of texas at el paso, and portland state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a forensic materials engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for forensic materials engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

3. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

4. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

5. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

6. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

7. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

8. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

9. North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,170

10. The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,157

Average forensic materials engineer salary by education level

According to our data, forensic materials engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $108,795 annually. Forensic materials engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $89,479.

Forensic materials engineer education level	Forensic materials engineer salary
Master's Degree	$108,795
Bachelor's Degree	$89,479

Forensic materials engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Forensic Materials Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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