Materials Engineering graduates from Michigan State University earn $95,761 median salary — above the national average for this program. Median debt: $24,385.
Materials Engineering at Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Materials Engineering at Michigan State University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Michigan State University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Materials Engineering at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 28 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Michigan State University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $95,761 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $86,177 across all institutions offering Materials Engineering, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Michigan State University, the mean median-earnings figure is $72,735, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Materials Engineering graduates at Michigan State University is $24,385, which translates to roughly $203 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Materials Engineering at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Purdue University-Main Campus | $107,557 | $22,111 |
| University of California-Irvine | $106,547 | $7,500 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $100,599 | $17,000 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $98,879 | $16,250 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $97,924 | $17,350 |
| Lehigh University | $97,904 | $26,324 |
| University of Maryland-College Park | $97,714 | — |
| Michigan State University (this school) | $95,761 | $24,385 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $95,314 | $19,485 |
| Drexel University | $94,694 | $31,000 |
Other Programs at Michigan State University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | $188,085 | $78,686 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $142,927 | $51,250 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $139,589 | $30,375 |
| Medicine | $130,503 | $251,502 |
| Veterinary Medicine | $127,621 | $177,857 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $127,481 | $41,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $123,621 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $118,130 | $48,355 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $116,905 | $22,500 |
| Chemistry | $113,129 | — |
Other Schools with Materials Engineering
Quick picks offering the same program — compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.