2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
[Materials Engineering](/majors/engineering/materials-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for materials engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools
Leading the list is Arizona State University, our #1 best value for materials engineering in the Southwest Region. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,223, while out-of-state students pay about $33,139. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $23,733. Materials Engineering graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of $93,301 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,733 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Texas earned it the #2 place for materials engineering. Located in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,309 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,149 for out-of-state students. Materials Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,823 in student loans. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $49,157. Set against $26,823 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Texas admits about 72% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes The University Of Texas At Austin one of the best values for materials engineering. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,688, while out-of-state students pay about $44,908. Students borrow a median of $21,275 to complete the materials engineering program here. Early-career materials engineering graduates make about $57,819. Set against $21,275 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas A And M University College Station came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value materials engineering schools. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Typical student debt for materials engineering graduates is $20,031. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $64,891. That is a strong return on a $20,031 median debt. The acceptance rate is 57%.
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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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
