Materials Engineering at University of California-Los Angeles

Based on comparable materials engineering programs in California, UCLA graduates can expect first-year earnings around $74,110—right in line with the national median for this major and matching what UC Davis reports. With an estimated $17,000 in debt, that translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.23, meaning graduates would owe less than three months of their first year's salary. That's notably below the national median debt of $23,250 for this field.

The real unknown here is where UCLA specifically falls within California's range. Cal Poly SLO graduates earn slightly more at $74,496, while UC Irvine's materials engineers start at $58,177—a significant gap that shows outcomes vary even among UC campuses. UCLA's 9% admission rate suggests strong student quality, which often correlates with better career outcomes, but without actual graduate data we can't confirm whether UCLA performs closer to the top or middle of the state's programs.

The fundamentals look solid: engineering credentials typically deliver strong returns, and the estimated debt load is manageable relative to likely earnings. But don't assume UCLA's prestige automatically translates to top earnings in this specific major—the gap between California programs is real and substantial.