Bright outlook
Management
Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
Nuclear Engineering
CIP14.23
27 colleges offer Nuclear Engineering. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 27
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $99,675
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $20,000
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 3
- Bachelor's
- 21
- Master's
- 27
- Doctoral
- 26
- First professional
- 1
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 9
What it covers
About Nuclear Engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for controlling and manipulating nuclear energy, including nuclear power plant design, fission reactor design, fusion reactor design, reactor control and safety systems design, power transfer systems, containment vessels and structures design; and the analysis of related engineering problems such as fission and fusion processes, human and environmental factors, construction, and operational considerations.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 14.23.
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 3 | $95,8614 yrs after · 1 college | $27,0001 college |
| Bachelor's | 21 | $99,6754 yrs after · 10 colleges | $20,0007 colleges |
| Master's | 27 | $110,9804 yrs after · 3 colleges | Not reported |
| Doctoral | 26 | $146,4224 yrs after · 1 college | Not reported |
| First professional | 1 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 9 | Not reported | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Nuclear Engineering graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public · 31 graduates
$116,047
debt $21,000
- 2
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA · Public · 16 graduates
$114,772
debt not reported
- 3
Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public · 72 graduates
$103,438
debt $19,000
- 4
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public · 10 graduates
$102,449
debt not reported
- 5
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public · 31 graduates
$100,212
debt $20,000
- 6
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public · 32 graduates
$99,139
debt $18,642
- 7
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public · 15 graduates
$94,330
debt not reported
- 8
Corvallis, OR · Public · 26 graduates
$94,105
debt $19,500
- 9
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO · Public · 18 graduates
$89,929
debt $20,000
- 10
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Private nonprofit · 16 graduates
$87,239
debt not reported
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Nuclear Engineering by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
- Bright outlook
Management
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
Architecture and engineering
Nuclear Engineers
- Median pay
- $133,970
- Outlook
- Little or no change
Bachelor's degree
- Critical Thinking
- Science
- Active Listening
- Bright outlook
Education
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $109,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Doctoral or professional degree
- Instructing
- Learning Strategies
- Speaking
More in Engineering
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Engineering, General452 colleges
- Mechanical Engineering395 colleges
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering387 colleges
- Computer Engineering367 colleges
- Civil Engineering300 colleges
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering200 colleges
- Chemical Engineering182 colleges
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering130 colleges
Questions about Nuclear Engineering
How many colleges offer Nuclear Engineering?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Nuclear Engineering at these degree levels: certificate (3 colleges), bachelor's (21 colleges), master's (27 colleges), doctoral (26 colleges), first professional (1 college), graduate/professional certificate (9 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Nuclear Engineering graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Nuclear Engineering earn $99,675 a year four years after finishing, across 10 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Nuclear Engineering graduates earn the most?
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Nuclear Engineering: $116,047 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.