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Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for materials sciences Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for materials sciences Majors in US for 2021:
  1. Northwestern University
  2. Vanderbilt University
  3. Washington University in St Louis
  4. University of California - Los Angeles
  5. University of California, Berkeley
  6. Carnegie Mellon University
  7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  8. Columbia University in the City of New York
  9. University of Rochester
  10. SUNY at Buffalo
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 sciences majors in the US

1. Northwestern University

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

2. Vanderbilt University

Location
Nashville, TN
Admission rate: 10%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $61,900

3. Washington University in St Louis

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

4. University of California - Los Angeles

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

5. University of California, Berkeley

Location
Berkeley, CA
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $57,600

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Admission rate: 17%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $84,000

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,900

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

Location
New York, NY
Admission rate: 6%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $77,900

9. University of Rochester

Location
Rochester, NY
Admission rate: 29%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,300

10. SUNY at Buffalo

Location
Buffalo, NY
Admission rate: 56%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $46,100

11. Emory University

Location
Atlanta, GA
Admission rate: 19%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $65,500

12. University of Southern California

Location
Los Angeles, CA
Admission rate: 13%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $61,400

13. SUNY at Albany

Location
Albany, NY
Admission rate: 52%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $41,000

14. Florida State University

Location
Tallahassee, FL
Admission rate: 37%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $39,700

15. Pennsylvania State University

Location
University Park, PA
Admission rate: 56%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $43,600

16. University of Delaware

Location
Newark, DE
Admission rate: 66%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $48,100

17. University of California - San Diego

Location
La Jolla, CA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $48,200

18. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Location
Troy, NY
Admission rate: 43%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $66,700

19. University of Denver

Location
Denver, CO
Admission rate: 56%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,000

20. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Location
Eau Claire, WI
Admission rate: 78%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $40,200

21. Michigan State University

Location
East Lansing, MI
Admission rate: 78%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $45,200

22. University of California, Santa Barbara

Location
Santa Barbara, CA
Admission rate: 32%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $42,800

23. University of Georgia

Location
Athens, GA
Admission rate: 49%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $45,200

24. Stevens Institute of Technology

Location
Hoboken, NJ
Admission rate: 41%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $67,900

25. Rochester Institute of Technology

Location
Rochester, NY
Admission rate: 66%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $50,600

How we determined the best materials sciences 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 sciences 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