Materials Engineering
Materials Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $134,642, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 2,760 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Materials Engineering and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$11,592 Median In-State Public
$62,588 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Materials Engineering majors are, on average, $11,592 for in-state public colleges, and $62,588 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Materials Engineering programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
3,129 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Materials Engineering from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Materials Engineering.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,095 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | 49,000 |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Materials Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso Community College | TX | $3,274 |
| 2 | Southern Maine Community College | ME | $3,797 |
| 3 | Salt Lake Community College | UT | $4,257 |
| 4 | University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez | PR | $5,274 |
| 5 | University of Central Florida | FL | $6,368 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Materials Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ogden-Weber Technical College | UT | $1,614 |
| 2 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $4,113 |
| 3 | El Paso Community College | TX | $4,154 |
| 4 | University of Florida | FL | $6,351 |
| 5 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $7,599 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Materials Engineering programs.
Graduation Rates
56.64% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
56.42% Average Graduation Rate
221 Institutions Reporting
44.77% - 69.32% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Materials Engineering programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Materials Engineering graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$134,642 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Materials Engineering majors is $134,642.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Materials Engineering majors.
Occupations by Share
2,760 2023 Workforce
The number of Materials Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Materials Engineering by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Materials Engineering degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Materials Engineering degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Materials Engineering in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Materials Engineering.
Age distribution for Materials Engineering degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
68,755 Total Degrees Awarded
25,771 Male (37.48%)
42,984 Female (62.52%)
Gender distribution of Materials Engineering degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
35,226 White (51.23%)
10,247 Hispanic or Latino (14.90%)
6,079 Black or African American (8.84%)
4,014 Asian (5.84%)
2,364 Two or More Races (3.44%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Materials Engineering degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Materials Engineering are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Materials Engineering.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Materials Engineering field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Materials Engineering majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Materials Engineering majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Materials Engineering majors.
About
Materials Engineering
In 2023, 3,129 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Materials Engineering.
CIP Code
22.1418 - Materials Engineering
Insights and Analysis
High Earning Potential: Materials Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $134,642, placing them among the top earners in the workforce. This strong earning potential reflects both the demand for skills in this field and the value employers place on this degree.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.