Materials Engineering at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

With just one materials engineering program in Tennessee and fewer than 30 graduates reporting data, UT-Knoxville's numbers tell an incomplete story—but what they show is concerning. Starting at $63,505 puts graduates roughly $10,000 behind the national median for this field, landing in just the 11th percentile nationally. That's a significant gap for an engineering discipline where graduates typically command strong salaries right out of college.

The relatively modest debt load of $19,500 provides some cushion, yielding a manageable 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio. However, the lower starting salary matters more than it might seem. In engineering, that first job often sets your trajectory for years to come, affecting everything from retirement contributions to mortgage qualification. The program serves as Tennessee's only materials engineering option at the bachelor's level, which may explain why it attracts students despite weaker outcomes—sometimes geography trumps earnings potential.

Given the small sample size, these numbers could shift dramatically with just a few high or low earners in the dataset. If your child is drawn to materials engineering specifically and wants to stay in Tennessee, this may be the only local path. But if they're flexible on location or could consider related engineering fields with stronger outcomes at UT-Knoxville, that deserves serious consideration. The debt is manageable enough that this won't be a financial disaster, but starting $10,000 behind peers from other programs compounds over time.