Materials Engineering · California

Materials Engineering colleges in California

CampusPin lists 267 U.S. colleges in California that offer Materials Engineering programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

Materials engineering applies chemistry, physics, and engineering to choose, modify, and test metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites for real products.

Schools in California that offer Materials Engineering

Materials Engineering programs in California: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 267 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

267

Public / private

24 / 26

Universities / 2-year

44 / 6

Cities represented

39

In-state tuition range

$1,104–$57,946

Median in-state tuition

$10,217

Lowest published in-state tuition

Barstow Community College

$1,104

Most selective

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

30% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

California State University-Fullerton

41,793 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Materials Engineering program

  • Crystal structure, bonding, and the atomic basis of material properties
  • Phase diagrams and the relationship between processing, structure, and performance
  • Mechanical behavior including strength, fatigue, fracture, and creep
  • Metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and composite material families
  • Thermodynamics, kinetics, and diffusion in materials systems
  • Materials characterization with microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and spectroscopy
  • Materials selection, corrosion control, and failure analysis methods
  • Hands-on laboratory testing of samples under load and environmental conditions
  • A senior capstone or design project applying materials knowledge to a real problem

Where a Materials Engineering degree can lead

  • Materials Engineer
  • Metallurgical Engineer
  • Ceramics Engineer
  • Polymer Engineer
  • Process Engineer
  • Materials Scientist

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 materials engineers median $108,310).

Materials engineering is about deciding what things should be made of and why. Students study how the internal structure of metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and composite materials shapes properties like strength, conductivity, corrosion resistance, and behavior under heat or stress, then use that understanding to choose, modify, or design materials for a specific job. Coursework blends mathematics, chemistry, and physics with engineering practice: you learn how atoms bond and arrange into crystals, how processing steps such as heating, cooling, casting, or bonding change a material, and how to match a material's properties to a product's requirements and cost limits. Unlike materials science, which leans toward discovery and explaining why materials behave as they do, materials engineering is weighted toward application, manufacturing processes, and designing materials and components that perform reliably in service. It is also broader than metallurgical engineering, which focuses specifically on metals, because materials engineers work across metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites alike.

The standard entry credential is a bachelor's degree, and programs are heavily lab-based: students run experiments characterizing samples, test how materials fail under load, and complete a senior capstone or design project applying their knowledge to a realistic problem. Because much of the work touches public safety and infrastructure, engineers who approve designs or offer services to the public may need to become licensed professional engineers, a path that involves passing examinations and gaining supervised experience; students should verify both programmatic accreditation and any state licensure requirements for their intended path. Graduates work in settings such as manufacturing plants, aerospace and automotive firms, electronics and semiconductor producers, energy and defense operations, biomedical device companies, and research or quality laboratories, often in roles spanning materials selection, process development, failure analysis, and quality assurance.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of materials engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $108,310 and projects employment to grow about 5.7% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.

Materials Engineering in other states

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Find more Materials Engineering schools

Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 267+ Materials Engineering programs in California by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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