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# Best Materials Engineering Programs in the Midwest (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-midwest/)

Regional list from [Materials Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-materials-engineering-programs/)

This page ranks the 12 Materials Engineering programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Materials Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) leads the list at $107,557, followed by [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) at $98,879 and [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) at $97,924.

Across the listed schools, the median figure is $91,396, with a spread of $44,552 from $107,557 to $63,005. For 1 of the 12 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 11 of the 12 schools, or 92%. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it also posts the lowest average net price on the page at $13,138.

Michigan Technological University has the highest admission rate, admitting 92% of applicants, while Northwestern University is the most selective at 8%.

## The ranked list

12 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $107,557 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
|  | [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $107,557](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Materials Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $98,879 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
|  | [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) [admits 16% of applicants](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/admissions/) and ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $97,924 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
|  | An [average net price of $14,355](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/cost/) coincides with median earnings of $97,924 for Materials Engineering graduates four years after completing at [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/). |
| 4 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $95,761 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $23,250](/school/michigan-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/), which ranks 4th on this list. |
| 5 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $92,070 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
|  | [Michigan Technological University](/school/michigan-technological-university/majors/) [admits 92% of applicants](/school/michigan-technological-university/admissions/) and reports an average net price of $2,045 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 6 | Winona State University · Winona, MN | $91,528 | $17,503 | $10,224 | 75.5% |
|  | [Winona State University](/school/winona-state-university/majors/) [ranks 579th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/winona-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $91,528 for its Materials Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $91,265 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) reports an [average net price of $4,200](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and a 47-graduate earnings cohort. |
| 8 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $86,084 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | Median federal debt of $19,976 across all of [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/)'s borrowers who completed coincides with [median earnings of $86,084](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Materials Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $83,945 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
|  | [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) [admits 80% of applicants](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $83,945 for its Materials Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 10 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $83,416 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
|  | [Iowa State University](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) ranks 10th on this list, with an [average net price of $18,589](/school/iowa-state-university/cost/) and a 44-graduate earnings cohort. |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $82,131 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/majors/) reports an [average net price of $10,329](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 214th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 12 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $63,005 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
|  | [Northwestern University](/school/northwestern-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Evanston, [admits 8% of applicants](/school/northwestern-university/admissions/) and reports an average net price of $1,764 for families earning under $30,000. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Materials Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 1 of the 12 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from Purdue University-Main Campus to the bottom of the list is $44,552, and the gap between Purdue University-Main Campus and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is $8,678.

## Job market context in the Midwest

Graduates of Materials Engineering programs in the Midwest enter a labor market that includes occupations such as Cost Estimators and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $84,250, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $65,558. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 1,455 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 0.2% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Materials Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-materials-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Materials Engineering Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-materials-engineering-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Materials Engineering Programs in the South](/rankings/best-materials-engineering-programs-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Materials Engineering Programs in the West](/rankings/best-materials-engineering-programs-in-the-west/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-midwest/)