Bachelor's+6% vs national median478 grads tracked
Materials Engineering at Purdue University
Ranked 1st of 20 bachelor's programs in Materials Engineering by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$80,477
middle 50%: $67,639 – $92,787
Median · 5 years out
$99,765
middle 50%: $84,244 – $114,923
Median · 10 years out
$123,906
middle 50%: $100,457 – $158,255
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Materials Engineering (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Purdue University leads peer rankings for Materials Engineering with a first-year median of $80k. Ten-year earnings reach approximately $124k.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
3.9 yrs
≈ $4,186 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
$98,443 · 5 yrs out
Georgia Institute of Technology
$98,225 · 5 yrs out
Arizona State University
$98,163 · 5 yrs out
University of Alabama at Birmingham
$96,151 · 5 yrs out
University of Connecticut
$95,850 · 5 yrs out
University of Michigan
$95,736 · 5 yrs out
University of Wisconsin - Madison
$95,335 · 5 yrs out
Iowa State University of Science & Technology
$94,535 · 5 yrs out
University of Cincinnati
$94,485 · 5 yrs out
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
$93,428 · 5 yrs out
Ohio State University (The)
$93,261 · 5 yrs out
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
$92,424 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Purdue University
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$219,424 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$160,199 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$153,081 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$152,803 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$151,874 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$148,110 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$141,828 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctorate)
$135,976 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$126,565 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$122,270 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Master's)
$118,628 · 5 yrs out
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)
$117,974 · 5 yrs out
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