DegreeVerdict
ROI Calculator
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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4010

Materials Sciences: is this bachelor's degree worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff

+$303,257 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.

This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.

5.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
+98%Modeled 10-year ROI
$106,290Observed earnings · year 4
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$106,290Median reported earnings · year 4
$84,221Average reported earnings · year 5
$24,750Median federal debt
97thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
2Reporting programs
2With year-4 earnings
COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$106,290
Federal debt
$24,750
Reporting programs
2
2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$164,651
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$92,864National median$106,29075th percentile$92,864
2 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Carnegie Mellon University$119,7152Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$92,864

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Materials ScientistsSOC 19-2032 · 3 crosswalk linksLife, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherSOC 19-4099 · 2 crosswalk linksNatural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 2 crosswalk linksArchitectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 1 crosswalk linksChemistry Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1052 · 1 crosswalk linksChemistsSOC 19-2031 · 1 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 1 crosswalk linksPostsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199 · 1 crosswalk links
COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Chemistry

Year-4 earnings
$66,171
Federal debt
$24,000
277 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences

Year-4 earnings
$60,453
Federal debt
$24,830
151 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Physics

Year-4 earnings
$78,216
Federal debt
$23,495
129 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Year-4 earnings
$59,760
Federal debt
$25,500
20 reporting programs →
BEST COLLEGES FOR MATERIALS SCIENCES

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debt10-year ROIVerdict
1Carnegie Mellon UniversityBachelor's DegreePittsburgh, PA$119,715Not available+143%Strong payoff
2Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's DegreeUniversity Park, PA$92,864$24,750+54%Positive payoff

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.