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Materials engineering technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a materials engineering technician. Materials engineering technicians usually study chemistry, business, or civil engineering. 50% of materials engineering technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 167 real materials engineering technician resumes to see exactly what materials engineering technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for materials engineering technicians are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

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

What education do you need to become a materials engineering technician?

What degree do you need to be a materials engineering technician?

The most common degree for materials engineering technicians is bachelor's degree, with 50% of materials engineering technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 36% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 50%
  • Associate, 36%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Master's, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a materials engineering technician?

You should major in chemistry to become a materials engineering technician. 15% of materials engineering technicians major in chemistry. Other common majors for a materials engineering technician include business and civil engineering.

Most common colleges for materials engineering technicians

Materials engineering technicians often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, Ohio State University, and The University of Alabama. Here are the most common colleges for materials engineering technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Materials engineering technician common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University12.50%
Ohio State University8.33%
The University of Alabama8.33%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology4.17%
Athens State University4.17%

Best majors for materials engineering technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Chemistry14.9%
2Business12.2%
3Civil Engineering9.5%
4Mechanical Engineering6.8%
5Engineering6.8%

Best colleges for materials engineering technicians

The best colleges for materials engineering technicians are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Tufts University.

A materials engineering technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for materials engineering technicians. 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 materials engineering technicians.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

3. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

7. Wayne State University

Detroit, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$13,097

Enrollment

17,114

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for materials engineering technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for materials engineering technicians

The most affordable schools for materials engineering technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and city college of new york of the city university of new york, the.

If the best universities for materials engineering technicians 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 materials engineering technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. 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

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for materials engineering technicians

The hardest universities for materials engineering technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Tufts University.

Some great schools for materials engineering technicians 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 materials engineering technicians 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for materials engineering technicians

The easiest schools for materials engineering technicians to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, california university of pennsylvania, and indiana state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a materials engineering technician 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 materials engineering technicians.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

3. Indiana State University

Terre Haute, IN • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,019

4. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

5. Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,062

6. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

7. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

8. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

9. Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,025

10. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

Average materials engineering technician salary by education level

According to our data, materials engineering technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $80,048 annually. Materials engineering technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $77,279.
Materials engineering technician education levelMaterials engineering technician salary
Master's Degree$80,048
High School Diploma or Less$72,881
Bachelor's Degree$76,157
Some College/ Associate Degree$77,279

Materials engineering technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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