by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study materials sciences, you’ve come to the right place. This ranking highlights 11 programs that serve veteran materials sciences students especially well, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based on 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 evaluated colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ready to build your own comparison? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
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Learn more about these veteran-friendly materials sciences colleges below:
Our analysis ranked University of Delaware the #1 college for veteran and military-affiliated students pursuing a degree in materials sciences. It scores 91.1 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 sciences at University of Delaware
University of California-Santa Barbara is a great choice for veterans pursuing materials sciences, landing the #2 spot this year. The school's overall veterans score is 84.5 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full materials sciences report for University of California-Santa Barbara
The University of Alabama came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best materials sciences colleges for veterans. It scores 82.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about materials sciences at The University of Alabama
A rank of #4 makes University of California-Los Angeles one of the top materials sciences colleges for veteran students. University of California-Los Angeles scores 79.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the materials sciences program at University of California-Los Angeles
University of Arizona came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best materials sciences colleges for veterans. University of Arizona scores 78.0 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 sciences at University of Arizona
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Michigan State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best materials sciences colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 76.6 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the materials sciences program at Michigan State University
Montana State University came in at #7 for veteran materials sciences students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 74.0 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about materials sciences at Montana State University
University of California-Berkeley landed the #8 spot for veterans pursuing materials sciences. The school's overall veterans score is 73.4 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the materials sciences program at University of California-Berkeley
Rochester Institute of Technology placed #9 among the best materials sciences colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 71.8 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 47.6, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the materials sciences program at Rochester Institute of Technology
Duke University placed #10 among the best materials sciences colleges for veterans. Duke University scores 65.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 46.2, alongside a 33.3 veteran-support score.
See the full materials sciences report for Duke University
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Columbia University in the City of New York placed #11 among the best materials sciences colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 60.6 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 39.3, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about materials sciences 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 sciences: 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.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
