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Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for materials science and engineering Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for materials science and engineering Majors in US for 2021:
  1. Stanford University
  2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  3. Northwestern University
  4. Cornell University
  5. Johns Hopkins University
  6. Duke University
  7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  8. Georgia Institute of Technology
  9. University of Florida
  10. Lehigh University
If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

25 best colleges for materials science and engineering majors in the US

1. Stanford University

Location
Stanford, CA
Admission rate: 4%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $92,800

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Location
Cambridge, MA
Admission rate: 7%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $99,600

3. Northwestern University

Location
Evanston, IL
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $71,900

4. Cornell University

Location
Ithaca, NY
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $76,300

5. Johns Hopkins University

Location
Baltimore, MD
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $68,000

6. Duke University

Location
Durham, NC
Admission rate: 9%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $93,200

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $55,900

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Location
Atlanta, GA
Admission rate: 22%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $66,100

9. University of Florida

Location
Gainesville, FL
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,700

10. Lehigh University

Location
Bethlehem, PA
Admission rate: 22%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $67,300

11. University of Virginia

Location
Charlottesville, VA
Admission rate: 26%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $56,800

12. University of Pennsylvania

Location
Philadelphia, PA
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $91,200

13. Case Western Reserve University

Location
Cleveland, OH
Admission rate: 29%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $69,900

14. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $54,700

15. Rice University

Location
Houston, TX
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $68,300

16. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Location
Madison, WI
Admission rate: 52%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,600

17. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Location
Champaign, IL
Admission rate: 62%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,300

18. Washington University in St Louis

Location
Saint Louis, MO
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $63,400

19. Purdue University

Location
West Lafayette, IN
Admission rate: 58%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,000

20. University of Maryland - College Park

Location
College Park, MD
Admission rate: 47%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $50,100

21. University of Washington

Location
Seattle, WA
Admission rate: 49%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $50,300

22. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Location
Blacksburg, VA
Admission rate: 65%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $50,400

23. University of Connecticut

Location
Storrs, CT
Admission rate: 49%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,800

24. University of California - Los Angeles

Location
Los Angeles, CA
Admission rate: 14%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,000

25. University of Texas at Austin

Location
Austin, TX
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,200

How we determined the best materials science and engineering colleges

We looked at the following data from the NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) and College Scorecard data from ED.gov to understand what materials science and engineering departments offer the best career opportunities:
  • Percentage of Graduating Class That Are Business Majors
  • Mean Earnings After 10 Years
  • Mean Earnings After 6 Years
  • Admission Rate (More selective the better)
  • Average cost of attendance (Lower is better)
  • Median amount of debt
  • Ratio of people working to not working after 10 years