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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Materials Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region

5 Colleges in the United States
111 Materials Engineering Degrees Awarded
$66,881 Avg Early-Career Salary

Materials Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best materials engineering schools.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Materials Engineering in the The Plains States Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the materials engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Materials Engineering

1

Our analysis ranked Washington University In St Louis the best school in the country for a degree in materials engineering. Located in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. About 94% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 14 materials engineering students who graduated with this degree at Washington University In St Louis in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $68,303. Typical student debt for the program is $17,553. Read more about the materials engineering program at Washington University In St Louis

2

Students looking for a strong materials engineering program will find one at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities, which ranked #2. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. There were roughly 45 materials engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities generally make around $60,445. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities graduates carry a median of $21,250 in student loans. Get the full materials engineering details for University Of Minnesota Twin Cities

3

A rank of #3 makes Iowa State University one of the top schools for materials engineering. This very large public university is located in the city of Ames. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. About 30 materials engineering degrees were awarded at Iowa State University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, materials engineering degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $65,831. Students borrow a median of $23,125 to complete this degree. Read more about the materials engineering program at Iowa State University

4

Winona State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in materials engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State University is a moderately-sized public university. About 56% of students finish within six years. About 22 materials engineering degrees were awarded at Winona State University in the most recent year. Materials Engineering graduates of Winona State University earn a median of $72,944 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $22,000 to complete this degree. Get the full materials engineering details for Winona State University

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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