2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in New York
[General Materials Science](/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general materials science students.
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2026 Best Value General Materials Science Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general materials science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Materials Science Schools
Columbia University In The City Of New York earned the #1 spot for value among general materials science schools in New York. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $70,517 in tuition and fees. General Materials Science graduates carry a median of $23,258 in student loans. General Materials Science graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of $86,770 early in their careers. Set against $23,258 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Students looking for strong value in general materials science will find it at University At Buffalo, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,936, with out-of-state students paying around $31,536. Students borrow a median of $22,232 to complete the general materials science program here. Early-career general materials science graduates make about $52,403. Set against $22,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
A rank of #3 makes Rochester Institute Of Technology one of the best values for general materials science. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Rochester Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $59,210 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general materials science graduates is $27,491. Early-career general materials science graduates make about $63,515. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
More General Materials Science Rankings
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
