Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $136,006, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 69,280 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Nuclear Engineering and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$12,688 Median In-State Public
$61,020 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Nuclear Engineering majors are, on average, $12,688 for in-state public colleges, and $61,020 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Nuclear Engineering programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
959 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Nuclear Engineering from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Nuclear Engineering.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 2 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 3 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | 39,637 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | 35,665 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | 34,623 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Nuclear Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida | FL | $6,381 |
| 2 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus | NM | $8,115 |
| 3 | Idaho State University | ID | $8,356 |
| 4 | University of Idaho | ID | $8,816 |
| 5 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $8,895 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Nuclear Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida | FL | $6,351 |
| 2 | Wilberforce University | OH | $7,349 |
| 3 | University of Utah | UT | $13,172 |
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | GA | $13,289 |
| 5 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $13,485 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Nuclear Engineering programs.
Graduation Rates
56.95% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
57.64% Average Graduation Rate
144 Institutions Reporting
43.28% - 72.24% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Nuclear Engineering programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Nuclear Engineering graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$136,006 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Nuclear Engineering majors is $136,006.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Nuclear Engineering majors.
Occupations by Share
69,280 2023 Workforce
The number of Nuclear Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Nuclear Engineering by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Nuclear Engineering degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Nuclear Engineering degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Nuclear Engineering in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Nuclear Engineering.
Age distribution for Nuclear Engineering degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Nuclear Engineering degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Nuclear Engineering degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Nuclear Engineering are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Nuclear Engineering.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Nuclear Engineering field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Nuclear Engineering majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Nuclear Engineering majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Nuclear Engineering majors.
About
Nuclear Engineering
In 2023, 959 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Nuclear Engineering.
CIP Code
00.1423 - Nuclear Engineering
Insights and Analysis
High Earning Potential: Nuclear Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $136,006, placing them among the top earners in the workforce. This strong earning potential reflects both the demand for skills in this field and the value employers place on this degree.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.