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Nuclear Engineering

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Nuclear engineering majors study the physics and engineering of nuclear reactions—fission, fusion, and radioactive decay—and how to harness them safely. Coursework includes reactor physics, radiation detection and measurement, nuclear materials, thermal hydraulics, health physics, and heavy doses of math and physics. Labs involve working with radiation sources, neutron activation analysis, and reactor simulations.

Many programs have access to a campus research reactor, giving students hands-on experience few other engineering majors can match. Senior design projects often involve designing a reactor component, modeling fuel cycles, or developing radiation shielding for medical or space applications.

What you'll do after college

Grads work at nuclear utilities, national laboratories (like Oak Ridge, Idaho National Lab, and Argonne), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Navy's nuclear propulsion program, defense contractors, and an expanding wave of startups building small modular reactors and fusion devices. Day-to-day work mixes simulation, safety analysis, materials testing, and regulatory compliance.

Pay is among the highest in engineering, and demand is rising as countries invest in nuclear power for clean energy and as the existing fleet of reactors needs experienced engineers to operate and eventually decommission. Many grads pursue graduate degrees to specialize in fusion, medical physics, or nonproliferation.

Famous graduates

  • Alvin Weinberg — Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and champion of the molten salt reactor; Ph.D. in Mathematical Biophysics from University of Chicago
  • Amanda Johnsen = Prominent Penn State researcher, B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from MIT
  • Alan Icenhour - Former Deputy Lab Director at ORNL, B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from NC State
  • John E. Kelly - Former Chief Technology Officer at the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$95,563
116
100–55%
$101,474
217
52–15%
$98,372
112
15–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$94,493
104
400–1280
$99,408
208
1290–1410
$105,200
103
1440–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$89,933p10 $111,750p90 Military Public University Private University Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 United States Naval Academy · $94,193 United States Military Academy · $93,799 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $101,357 Texas A&M University - College Station · $96,019 Pennsylvania State University · $106,119 University of New Mexico · $94,320 Oregon State University · $89,933 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $91,386 South Carolina State University · $81,617 Idaho State University · $89,626 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $94,922 Georgia Tech · $98,826 University of California, Berkeley · $97,080 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $99,061 University of Florida · $111,750 Purdue University · $93,365 North Carolina State University · $100,545 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $114,699 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $112,188 MIT · $110,750 Military: mean $93,996 Public University: mean $93,797 Private University: mean $94,922 Public University 1–15: mean $103,439 Private University 1–30: mean $110,750 All colleges: p10 $89,933 All colleges: p90 $111,750
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Nuclear Engineering 21 445 81% / 19% 3% $97,871 96%
Nuclear Engineering 17 369 82% / 18% 3% $96,310 95%
Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences 1 22 82% / 18% 5% $99,061 97%
Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering 1 21 81% / 19% 0% $114,699 100%
Nuclear and Radiological Engineering 1 18 83% / 17% 0% $98,826 96%
Nuclear Science and Engineering (Course 22) 1 13 31% / 69% 0% $110,750
Engineering Physics (Nuclear) 1 2 50% / 50% 0% $103,703