by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study materials science, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 11 programs that serve veteran materials science students especially well, using our 2026 methodology.
Our ranking weighs the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. So you can compare your options, College Factual analyzed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Explore the best materials science colleges for veterans at a specific degree level:
Explore the leading materials science colleges for veterans below:
Leading the list is University of Delaware, our #1 materials science college for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 91.1 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about materials science at University of Delaware
A rank of #2 makes University of California-Santa Barbara one of the top materials science colleges for veteran students. University of California-Santa Barbara scores 84.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about materials science at University of California-Santa Barbara
A rank of #3 makes The University of Alabama one of the top materials science colleges for veteran students. It scores 82.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about materials science at The University of Alabama
A rank of #4 makes University of California-Los Angeles one of the top materials science colleges for veteran students. It scores 79.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about materials science at University of California-Los Angeles
Veteran students seeking a strong materials science program will find one at University of Arizona, which ranked #5. University of Arizona scores 78.0 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7.
Read more about materials science at University of Arizona
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Michigan State University came in at #6 for veteran materials science students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 76.6 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about materials science at Michigan State University
Montana State University came in at #7 for veteran materials science students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 74.0 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the materials science program at Montana State University
University of California-Berkeley ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best materials science colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 73.4 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full materials science report for University of California-Berkeley
Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #9 spot for veterans pursuing materials science. Rochester Institute of Technology scores 71.8 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 47.6, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the materials science program at Rochester Institute of Technology
Duke University came in at #10 for veteran materials science students this year. It scores 65.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 46.2, with a veteran-resources score of 33.3.
Read more about materials science at Duke University
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Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best materials science colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 60.6 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 39.3, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about materials science at Columbia University in the City of New York
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
We measure this ranking on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying materials science: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
