Materials Engineering: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 14.18. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 301 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 11 | 69 | $48,284 | $56,095 | $22,900 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 3 | 5 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 67 | 1,194 | $75,940 | $91,449 | $20,886 18 programs |
| Master's degree | 108 | 1,101 | $94,386 | $112,282 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 88 | 727 | $111,711 | $130,845 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 24 | 33 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $87,472 | $89,983 | Data unavailable |
| Michigan Technological University MI · Public · 16 graduates measured | $87,441 | $92,070 | $27,000 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $86,291 | $89,913 | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $84,983 | $94,694 | $31,000 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 32 graduates measured | $83,880 | $98,879 | $20,376 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $83,654 | $95,314 | $13,545 |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 26 graduates measured | $80,657 | $95,761 | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 36 graduates measured | $79,562 | $107,557 | $16,974 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 33 graduates measured | $79,158 | $83,945 | Data unavailable |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $79,144 | $82,947 | Data unavailable |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public · 55 graduates measured | $78,513 | $90,828 | $21,271 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 54 graduates measured | $78,333 | $86,084 | $18,500 |
| University of Kentucky KY · Public · 19 graduates measured | $78,014 | $84,796 | Data unavailable |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $77,737 | $100,599 | $18,500 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 28 graduates measured | $77,713 | Data unavailable | $20,135 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland State University OR · Public · 19 graduates measured | $125,486 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $118,998 | $146,629 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 39 graduates measured | $104,900 | $119,694 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 39 graduates measured | $104,900 | $119,694 | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 18 graduates measured | $97,241 | $113,416 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $94,009 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $92,786 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $150,801 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $121,313 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Materials Engineering
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Cost estimators | $78,740 | -3.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Materials engineers | $112,860 | +7.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 14.1801 Materials Engineering