Engineering ยท bachelor's degree
Nuclear Engineering major: colleges and pay
22 colleges in our data award bachelor's degrees in nuclear engineering, 431 of them in 2023-24. Graduates of the typical program earned $77,236 a year after graduating and $94,365 four years after.
Colleges where nuclear engineering graduates earn the most
Programs with at least 10 graduates in 2023-24, ranked by median earnings four years after graduation.
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL | 31 | $82,743 | $116,047 | $21,000 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA | 16 | n/a | $114,772 | n/a |
| Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX | 72 | $75,747 | $103,438 | $19,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | 10 | n/a | $102,449 | n/a |
| North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, NC | 31 | n/a | $100,212 | $20,000 |
| The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN | 32 | $90,657 | $99,139 | $18,642 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, PA | 22 | $76,869 | $94,365 | $26,000 |
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | 15 | n/a | $94,330 | n/a |
| Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR | 26 | n/a | $94,105 | $19,500 |
| Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO | 18 | $80,397 | $89,929 | $20,000 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY | 16 | n/a | $87,239 | n/a |
Largest nuclear engineering programs
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX | 72 | $75,747 | $103,438 | $19,000 |
| The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN | 32 | $90,657 | $99,139 | $18,642 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL | 31 | $82,743 | $116,047 | $21,000 |
| North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, NC | 31 | n/a | $100,212 | $20,000 |
| Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN | 31 | $77,236 | n/a | $25,495 |
| Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR | 26 | n/a | $94,105 | $19,500 |
| United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD | 25 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, PA | 22 | $76,869 | $94,365 | $26,000 |
| United States Military AcademyWest Point, NY | 21 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO | 18 | $80,397 | $89,929 | $20,000 |
| University of New Mexico-Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM | 18 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA | 16 | n/a | $114,772 | n/a |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY | 16 | n/a | $87,239 | n/a |
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | 15 | n/a | $94,330 | n/a |
| University of FloridaGainesville, FL | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Graduate degrees in nuclear engineering
Master's: 26 programs, $103,822 first-year earnings; Doctoral: 24 programs, $126,268 first-year earnings. Compare graduate programs.
Every college with a nuclear engineering major
Frequently asked questions
How much do nuclear engineering majors make?
Graduates of the typical nuclear engineering program earned a median of $77,236 one year after graduation and $94,365 four years after, in 2024 dollars.
Which college has the highest-paid nuclear engineering graduates?
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where graduates earned a median of $116,047 four years after graduation (programs with at least 10 graduates).
How many colleges offer a nuclear engineering major?
22 colleges on the College Scorecard awarded bachelor's degrees in nuclear engineering in 2022-23 or 2023-24.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.