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Material engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a material engineer. Material engineers usually study materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering. 72% of material engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,934 real material engineer resumes to see exactly what material engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for material engineers are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online material engineer courses to help get the education required to be a material engineer.
There are certain material engineer certifications that you should consider. These material engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Green Belt.
What education do you need to become a material engineer?
What degree do you need to be a material engineer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a material engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 12%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for material engineers
| Material engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 11.38% |
| Purdue University | 8.28% |
| Ohio State University | 7.24% |
| Arizona State University | 5.52% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.17% |
Best majors for material engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Science And Engineering | 23.4% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 13.9% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 12.0% |
| 4 | Civil Engineering | 7.7% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 7.3% |
Best colleges for material engineers
The best colleges for material engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.
A material 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 material 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 material 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for material engineers
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1. Introduction to Materials Science
Periods of our civilization have names associated with materials – stone age, bronze age, iron age and the silicon age. Materials impact all aspects of your daily life and will continue to do so in the future. The more we understand materials, the more we imagine the future with fantastic devices and advancements enabled by materials. This initial specialization introduces a limited number of material science and engineering concepts. The topic presentations are at the concept level without...
2. AI Materials
Learn about the materials that have advanced the performance of artificial intelligence, and the machine learning models that could help accelerate the design and development of novel materials. This course defines artificial intelligence (AI) as a machine to which some or all of the functions of the human brain have been delegated. It highlights the need, and explains in an easy-to-understand way how machine learning from artificial intelligence can dramatically accelerate the development of...
3. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers
Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...
4. Materialize CSS From Scratch With 5 Projects
Master HTML 5 & the Materialize CSS framework by building 5 real world responsive material design based themes...
5. Material Extrusion
This course is a deep dive into the most commonly used method of additive manufacturing: material extrusion. We specifically examine the fused deposition modeling process, and then look at the related composite extrusion process which can extrude a continuous fiber (such as carbon fiber) along with a thermoplastic. The necessary elements for each course are lecture videos, knowledge checks, and project completion. For additional information on certain topics, I've included supplemental readings...
6. Mechanics of Materials IV: Deflections, Buckling, Combined Loading & Failure Theories
This course explores the analysis and design of engineering structures considering factors of deflection, buckling, combined loading, & failure theories ------------------------------------------------- The copyright of all content and materials in this course are owned by either the Georgia Tech Research Corporation or Dr. Wayne Whiteman. By participating in the course or using the content or materials, whether in whole or in part, you agree that you may download and use any content and/or...
7. Angular Material In Depth (Angular 16)
In-depth guided tour to the Angular Material component library (in Angular 16)...
8. Unreal Engine 5: One Course Solution For Material
Learn how material works in Unreal Engine 5 through a node by node, step by step approach...
9. Materials in Oral Health
The drive for development of new and novel oral biomaterials has never been more important with many people using oral biomaterials today and seeing their benefits in restoring and improving their oral health for a more enjoyable lifestyle. The unique properties of biomaterials such as titanium (Ti), zirconia (ZrO2) and various polymeric materials have made them materials of choice in oral health: dental implants, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and even regenerative medicine. Oral biomaterials...
10. Materials Science for Advanced Technological Applications
This specialization extends upon the initial introduction specialization, and like the other specialization, it introduces a limited number of new materials science and engineering concepts. Presentations are at the concept level without being marred in heavy mathematics. Topics in this specialization topic include strengthening of metal, polymers, ceramic materials, and composite. Some of the position titles that may benefit from this course include Materials Engineer, Chemical Engineer,...
11. Angular (Full App) with Angular Material, Angularfire & NgRx
Use Angular, Angular Material, Angularfire (+ Firebase with Firestore) and Ng Rx to build a real Angular App...
12. Angular Material: Ultimate Masterclass With Angular 9 (2020)
Become A Highly Paid Angular 9 Developer And Master Angular Material & Type Script...
13. Material Jetting and Stereolithography
This course looks at two photopolymer resin-based processes: material jetting and stereolithography. We walk through the build preparation, printing, and post-processing for both processes, and discuss the kinds of applications for which these processes are well suited. The necessary elements for each course are lecture videos, knowledge checks, and project completion. For additional information on certain topics, I've included supplemental readings and videos throughout various lessons that...
14. Materials Science for Technological Application
This Specialization will provide you with an introductory knowledge and understanding of key concepts in Materials Science. Periods of our civilization have names associated with materials – stone age, bronze age, iron age, and the silicon age. Materials impact all aspects of your daily life and will continue to do so in the future. The more we understand materials, the more we imagine the future with fantastic devices and advancements enabled by materials. This initial specialization...
15. Unlocking the Unreal Engine Material Editor
Learn how to combine textures, color data, and math to create your own custom AAA quality shaders...
16. Android Material UI Design Masterclass with Adobe Xd
Learn to Design Mobile Apps following the guidliness of Material System Design using Adobe Xd...
17. Circular Economy - Sustainable Materials Management
This course looks at where important materials in products we use every day come from and how these materials can be used more efficiently, longer, and in closed loops. This is the aim of the Circular Economy, but it doesn’t happen on its own. It is the result of choices and strategies by suppliers, designers, businesses, policymakers and all of us as consumers. In addition to providing many cases of managing materials for sustainability, the course also teaches skills and tools for analyzing...
18. Android Material Design
Introduction, Implementation and Mastering. All in one!...
19. Substance Designer 2020: Stylized material creation.
Learn all the fundamentals to create materials from scratch using the powerful node system of Substance Designer...
20. Angular 15 Masterclass with TypeScript, Firebase, & Material
Master and build reactive Single Page Applications(SPA) from scratch using Angular (formerly Angular 2 or Angular JS)...
Top 10 most affordable universities for material engineers
The most affordable schools for material engineers are University of Florida, new mexico institute of mining and technology, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for material 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 material 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 State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for material engineers
The hardest universities for material engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for material 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 material 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
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for material engineers
The easiest schools for material engineers to get into are Washington State University, the university of texas at el paso, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a material 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 material engineers.
1. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
2. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
5. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
9. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
10. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
Average material engineer salary by education level
| Material engineer education level | Material engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $101,936 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,226 |
Material engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025