2026 Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools in Michigan

[General Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/general-materials-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general materials engineering education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for general materials engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Materials Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Michigan Ann Arbor the best value for a degree in general materials engineering in Michigan. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Students borrow a median of $17,750 to complete the general materials engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $75,041. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 16%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Michigan Technological University earned it the #2 place for general materials engineering. Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Houghton. Students from in state pay about $20,532 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $44,807. General Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. General Materials Engineering graduates of Michigan Technological University earn a median of $63,135 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general materials engineering will find it at Michigan State University, which ranked #3. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Typical student debt for general materials engineering graduates is $27,925. General Materials Engineering graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $78,276 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,925 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.