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High upside

MASTERS | CA | PUBLIC

Materials Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles

This page puts upside and risk on the same screen so Degreeli can answer the real question: does this degree path still look worth it once completion friction is part of the math?

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Degree Value Scorecard

Materials Engineering

University of California, Los Angeles

Credential: MASTERSState: CAData confidence: Medium

Editorial Verdict

Worth considering if tuition is controlled and internships are strong. Debt risk rises quickly above $45,000.

Degreeli Value Score

0Score

Excellent Value

Data Confidence: Medium

Directional value

0/100

Estimated Net Cost

$0

Estimated Debt

$0

Early-Career Salary

$0

Mid-Career Salary

$0

Category breakdown

Cost Efficiency

20/20

Cost Efficiency

Debt Risk

20/20

Debt Risk

Earnings Outlook

20/20

Earnings Outlook

Payback Timeline

15/15

Payback Timeline

Completion / Outcome Confidence

10/10

Completion / Outcome Confidence

Graduate Worth-It Reviews

5/10

Graduate Worth-It Reviews

Parent / Student Clarity Signal

2.5/5

Parent / Student Clarity Signal

Cost and debt

Estimated net cost

$50,192

Estimated debt

$26,100

Debt risk

Low

Salary and outcome outlook

Early-career salary

$114,371

Mid-career salary

$187,685

Salary outlook

Strong

Payback estimate

Payback years

0.0 years

Completion/outcome

Strong completion signal

Review signals

Graduate review rating

4.5 / 5

Parent review signal

Parent signal is favorable if aid holds

Student signal

Student path looks career-aligned with manageable payback

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Sample scorecard preview

University of California, Los Angeles

Materials Engineering

Degreeli Value Score

93/ 100
Excellent ValueMedium confidence

Estimated Debt

$42K

Early Salary

$54K

Payback

Moderate

Reviews

4.1 / 5

Good outcome potential, but cost control matters. Compare aid packages and lower-debt alternatives before committing.

Strengths and risks

Top strengths

  • Cost looks efficient relative to expected early-career pay.
  • Estimated debt appears manageable relative to salary.
  • Earnings outlook is strong for a first-decade career path.

Main risks

  • Graduate review signal is limited or modeled.

Why this score?

Excellent Value is a Degreeli Value Score v1 directional read based on modeled cost ($50,192), estimated debt ($26,100), early-career salary ($114,371), payback, completion, and review signals. The strongest signal is that cost looks efficient relative to expected early-career pay. The main caution is that graduate review signal is limited or modeled. Data confidence is medium, so this should support comparison rather than act as a guarantee.

The Degreeli Value Score is directional, not a guarantee of salary, employment, or personal financial outcome.

MethodologyCompareSaveGenerate Reportdegreeli-value-score-v1

Better-value alternatives

Best current alternative

Finance and Financial Management Services

University of Pennsylvania

Degreeli Score

89/100

Debt

$20,400

Payback

2.4 years

Better-value alternative

Dentistry

The Ohio State University

Degreeli Score

89/100

Debt

$11,900

Payback

1.4 years

Better-value alternative

Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences

Duke University

Degreeli Score

89/100

Debt

$22,100

Payback

2.6 years

Methodology and data confidence

Data confidence is medium. Cost, salary, payback, review, and outcome fields should be read as decision support, not financial advice.

Methodology

Programs

Inspect this path, then stack it against alternatives.

Browse This Field

Current school + degree

Materials Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles

Expand the core read on debt, salary, payback, review context, and score confidence before comparing.

93

Excellent Value

Data Confidence

Medium

Estimated Debt

$26,100

Early Salary

$114,371

Payback

2.3 years

Worth-It Rating

4.5 / 5

Strengths

Cost looks efficient relative to expected early-career pay.

Estimated debt appears manageable relative to salary.

Earnings outlook is strong for a first-decade career path.

Risks

Graduate review signal is limited or modeled.

Worth considering if tuition is controlled and internships are strong. Debt risk rises quickly above $45,000.

Better-value alternatives

Compare nearby paths before deciding.

These are sample comparison options from the current preview catalog, not a claim of full national coverage.

Expand

University of Pennsylvania

Finance and Financial Management Services

Completion ROI

$5,994,269

Payback

2.4 years

View ScorecardCompare

Duke University

Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences

Completion ROI

$5,689,708

Payback

2.6 years

View ScorecardCompare

Bottom Line

High upside

Materials Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles is a strong bottom-line candidate. Even after adjusting for completion risk, the path still clears $2,669,668 in lifetime ROI.

The combination of $146,629 in 10-year earnings and a payback window of 2.3 years gives this degree path real room to absorb uncertainty.

$12,548 School Net Price
93% School Graduation Rate

Risk Lens

How much value disappears once completion risk is acknowledged?

Ideal Case

$2,882,388

Risk-Adjusted Case

$2,669,668

Value At Risk

$212,720

Degreeli uses this gap to show how much value depends on finishing the program and reaching the expected outcome.

Verified reviews

Verified reviews of Materials Engineering

Only approved reviews tied to University of California, Los Angeles and this specific program appear here. Reviewer identities stay private while verification badges explain how affiliation was checked.

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Career AI Exposure

Moderate Exposure (52/100)

This path looks mixed: some tasks are AI-sensitive while human context still matters.

AI Exposure is a second lens beside ROI. It should inform comparison, not replace judgment.

Directional estimate from MASTERS taxonomy and program naming patterns. Replace with occupation-linked datasets as coverage expands.

Exposure Components

Read AI risk as task mix, not destiny.

Entry-Level Friction

56/100

Human Judgment Premium

66/100

Physical-World Durability

48/100

Higher exposure does not mean a path is bad. It means families should compare specialization paths, skill depth, and adaptation speed alongside ROI.

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