PlotFuture PlotFuture
PlotFuture / Majors / 40.10

What can you do with a
Materials Sciences degree?

Materials Sciences is mid-paying, AI barely touches it, and you would have escape routes.

Is this major worth the money?

Real graduate earnings vs. the debt you'd carry — and how long it takes to pay off.
5.3 yrs
to pay back the degree
+$41k
earnings premium vs no degree
Median earnings
$86,377
Typical debt
$23,224
4-yr net cost
$95,264
Monthly loan payment
$264/mo
If you earn:

Where this major actually leads

8 careers it opens — bar color = AI risk, tag = how hard the path is.
Architectural and Engineering Managerscommon
AI risk 3 → 47 future · +3.8% demand
$171,092
Natural Sciences Managersstretch
AI risk 6 → 57 future · +3.7% demand
$120,380
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondarystretch
AI risk 36 → 50 future · +8.1% demand
$96,000
Chemistsleap
AI risk 26 → 38 future · +4.9% demand
$85,000
Materials Scientistsstretch
AI risk 18 → 48 future · +4.9% demand
$81,543
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondaryleap
AI risk 22 → 43 future · +2.2% demand
$74,460
Information Technology Project Managersleap
AI risk 50 → 60 future · +0% demand
$70,000
Quality Control Analystsstretch
AI risk 10 → 52 future · +3.5% demand
$60,000
● green = AI-safe · red = AI-exposed · click any career for the full breakdown
How this is built. We take every career this major leads to (CIP→SOC official crosswalk), then join each one's real salary (BLS/DOL), AI exposure (O*NET + model), demand growth, and skill-based escape routes. ROI from College Scorecard. Every figure here is joined from official sources, not estimated.