Top MS Materials Engineering in the USA

Engineering Materials Engineering Focus

Take a look at the top programmes for MS and MEng in materials engineering in the US. See the degrees, cost of attendance and recruiting companies

How much do materials engineers earn in the US?

According to EngineerSalary.com, the starting salary for a materials engineering with a bachelor’s degree in the US is $55,640. Those starting with a master’s can expect to start at $61,170 – depending on work experience prior to graduate study.

But, the median salary within the field according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (US BLS) is $92,390, with those in the 90th percentile earning a salary of $148,840.

The industries with the highest salaries employing materials are:

  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences: $107,840

  • Transportation equipment manufacturing: $100,030

  • Computer and electronic product manufacturing: $94,020

  • Engineering services: $90,630

  • Primary metal manufacturing: $81,170

Where do materials engineers work in the US?

In case you’re wondering as you browse the employers that recruit MS and ME materials engineers on university campuses, the states employing the highest numbers of materials engineers are:

  • California

  • Texas

  • Ohio

  • Pennsylvania

  • Michigan

You may want to consider pursuing your education in these or neighbouring states. But, remember that recruiters are looking for top talent across the country.

Top materials engineering masters programmes in the US

Ready to start looking at universities?

Considering where the highest numbers of materials engineers are employed, you may want to focus your programme search in the western and midwestern states. However, as you’ll see from recruiters, they’re happy to receive applications from Master of Science and Master of Engineering graduates from any of the top universities.

Why not start your employment search alongside your university search for the best shot at your future.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - School of Engineering

Cambridge (Boston), Massachusetts | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 1

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $79,850

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR MIT ENGINEERING

Northwestern University - Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering

Evanston (Chicago), Illinois| Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 20

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $83,098

Degrees available:

Master of Science (MS) in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR NORTHWESTERN ENGINEERING

Stanford University - Stanford School of Engineering

Stanford (San Francisco), California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 2

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $82,162

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR STANFORD ENGINEERING

University of Illinois Urbana-​Champaign - College of Engineering

Urbana, Illinois | Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 10

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $50,134

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMatSE)

Occasionally offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR ILLINOIS ENGINEERING

University of California Berkeley - School of Engineering

Berkeley (San Francisco), California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 3

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $69,304

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR BERKELEY ENGINEERING

Georgia Institute of Technology - College of Engineering

Atlanta, Georgia | South

USNWR engineering programme rank: 7

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $48,362

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR GEORGIA TECH ENGINEERING

California Institute of Technology - School of Engineering and Applied Science

Pasadena (Los Angeles), California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 7

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $83,598

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science

GET A LOAN FOR CALTECH ENGINEERING

University of Michigan Ann Arbor - College of Engineering

Ann Arbor, Michigan | Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 9

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $75,410

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR MICHIGAN ENGINEERING

Cornell University - College of Engineering

Ithaca, New York| Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 13

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $83,296

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE)

Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering (MEngMSE)

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR CORNELL ENGINEERING

Pennsylvania State University University Park - College of Engineering

University Park, Pennsylvania | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 32

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,326

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMatSE)

Additive Manufacturing and Design (M.S. and M.Eng)

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR PENN STATE ENGINEERING

Carnegie Mellon University - College of Engineering

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 4

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $80,972

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Science in Materials Science

GET A LOAN FOR CMU ENGINEERING

University of Pennsylvania - School of Engineering and Applied Science

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 17

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $80,206

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Engineering Degree (M.S.M.S.E.)

GET A LOAN FOR UPENN ENGINEERING

Ohio State University - College of Engineering

Columbus, Ohio | Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 30

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,152

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Science in Welding Engineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR OHIO STATE ENGINEERING

Purdue University - College of Engineering

West Lafayette, Indiana| Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 4

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $46,144

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR PURDUE ENGINEERING

Johns Hopkins University - Whiting School of Engineering

Baltimore, Maryland | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 16

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $113,043

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR JOHNS HOPKINS ENGINEERING

University of Florida - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering

Gainesville, Florida | South

USNWR engineering programme rank: 41

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $32,350

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR U OF FLORIDA ENGINEERING

University of Texas ​Austin - Cockrell School of Engineering

Austin, Texas| West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 6

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,912-$42,386

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Engineering in Materials Engineering

Occasionally offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR TEXAS COCKRELL ENGINEERING

North Carolina State University - College of Engineering

Raleigh, North Carolina| South

USNWR engineering programme rank: 26

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $49,723

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Nanoengineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR NC STATE ENGINEERING

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - School of Engineering

Troy, New York | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 43

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $80,243

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering

Occasionally offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR RENSSELAER ENGINEERING

Columbia University - The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

New York, New York | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 13

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $96,392

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR COLUMBIA ENGINEERING

University of California Los Angeles - Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

Los Angeles, California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 16

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $68,474

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science & Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR UCLA ENGINEERING

Rice University - George R. Brown School of Engineering

Houston, Texas | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 27

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $74,110

Degrees available:

Master of Materials Science and Nanoengineering (M.M.S.N.E.)

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR RICE ENGINEERING

University of California ​Davis - College of Engineering

Davis (Sacramento), California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 35

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,411

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR UC DAVIS ENGINEERING

Virginia Tech - College of Engineering

Blacksburg, Virginia | South

USNWR engineering programme rank: 30

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $52,106

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science & Engineering

Occasionally offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR VIRGINIA TECH ENGINEERING

University of California ​San Diego - Jacobs School of Engineering

San Diego, California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 10

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $53,862

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science

GET A LOAN FOR UC SAN DIEGO ENGINEERING

Texas A&M University - Dwight Look College of Engineering

College Station, Texas | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 10

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,868

Degrees available:

M.S. Civil Engineering: Materials Engineering Specialty

M.E. Civil Engineering: Materials Engineering Specialty

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING

University of Maryland ​College Park - A. James Clark School of Engineering

College Park (Washington DC), Maryland | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 21

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $45,936

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR MARYLAND ENGINEERING

University of Washington - College of Engineering

Seattle, Washington | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 24

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,443

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR U OF WASHINGTON ENGINEERING

University of Virginia - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Charlottesville, Virginia | South

USNWR engineering programme rank: 37

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $83,856

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

GET A LOAN FOR VIRGINIA ENGINEERING

Case Western Reserve University - Case School of Engineering

Cleveland, Ohio | Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 45

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $81,824

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR CASE WESTERN ENGINEERING

Duke University - Pratt School of Engineering

Durham, North Carolina | South

USNWR engineering programme rank: 24

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $86,775

Degrees available:

M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR DUKE PRATT ENGINEERING

Iowa State University - College of Engineering

Ames, Iowa | Midwest

USNWR engineering programme rank: 48

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,922

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR IOWA STATE ENGINEERING

Brown University - School of Engineering

Providence, Rhode Island| Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 53

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $83,683

Degrees available:

Master of Science (Sc.M.) Materials Science and Engineering

University of California ​Irvine - Henry Samueli School of Engineering

Irvine (Los Angeles), California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 38

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $73,082

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

GET A LOAN FOR UC IRVINE ENGINEERING

Arizona State University - Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Tempe, Arizona | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 40

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,252

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials science and engineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR ASU ENGINEERING

University of Southern California - Viterbi School of Engineering

Los Angeles, California | West

USNWR engineering programme rank: 15

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $84,307

Degrees available:

Master of Science in Materials Science

Master of Science in Materials Engineering

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR USC VITERBI ENGINEERING

Northeastern University - College of Engineering

Boston, Massachusetts | Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 33

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $57,592

Degrees available:

Mechanical Engineering with Concentration in Materials Science (MSME)

Offers spring admissions.

GET A LOAN FOR NORTHEASTERN ENGINEERING

University of Delaware - College of Engineering

Newark, Delaware| Northeast

USNWR engineering programme rank: 45

Estimated annual cost of attendance: $53,792

Degrees available:

Master of Materials Science and Engineering (MMSE)

GET A LOAN FOR DELAWARE ENGINEERING

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