ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best General Materials Science Schools in California

3 Colleges in the United States
170 General Materials Science Degrees Awarded
$52,125 Avg Early-Career Salary

General Materials Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools to find the best for general materials science students.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/physical-sciences/materials-sciences/general-materials-science/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

Best Schools for General Materials Science in California

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 general materials science degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in General Materials Science

1

Our analysis ranked University Of California Berkeley the best school in the country for a degree in general materials science. University Of California Berkeley is a very large public school located in the city of Berkeley. University Of California Berkeley graduates 93% of students within six years. University Of California Berkeley awarded about 111 general materials science degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general materials science degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley generally make around $70,847. Students borrow a median of $14,238 to complete this degree. Get the full general materials science details for University Of California Berkeley

2

A rank of #2 makes University Of California Santa Barbara one of the top schools for general materials science. Set in the suburb of Santa Barbara, University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public institution. Roughly 83% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of California Santa Barbara awarded about 46 general materials science degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general materials science program make about $45,488 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $15,501 to complete this degree. Get the full general materials science details for University Of California Santa Barbara

3

University Of California Riverside came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best general materials science schools. University Of California Riverside is a very large public school located in the city of Riverside. University Of California Riverside graduates 76% of students within six years. University Of California Riverside awarded about 13 general materials science degrees in the most recent data year. General Materials Science graduates of University Of California Riverside earn a median of $40,040 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $19,187 to complete this degree. Get the full general materials science details for University Of California Riverside

ADBLOCK #173
View All General Materials Science Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options