Nuclear Engineering Degree
Students study nuclear physics, reactor design, radiation safety, nuclear fuel cycles, and applications of nuclear technology in energy, medicine, and national defense. Graduates typically pursue careers at nuclear power plants, the Department of Energy, national laboratories, defense contractors, and medical equipment companies. Nuclear engineers earn some of the highest salaries in engineering, with renewed demand driven by clean energy goals.
What Nuclear Engineering Graduates Do
Your career will likely begin with hands-on work as a nuclear engineer. You might spend your days at a power plant, naval facility, or national lab, running safety simulations on reactor cores, designing new components, or developing procedures for handling nuclear materials. With experience, many engineers progress into management. As an engineering manager, your focus shifts from direct technical tasks to coordinating teams, managing multi-million dollar budgets, and providing high-level oversight for major projects like plant decommissioning or new technology development.
While the core nuclear engineer role itself faces slight headwinds, related opportunities in postsecondary teaching and management are growing. Across these paths, AI is set to become a powerful tool, not a replacement. Expect it to automate significant chunks of routine work, like analyzing sensor data or running standard simulations. This means your job will evolve, requiring you to focus more on interpreting AI-driven results, overseeing complex systems, and making the final critical judgments.
Common Career Paths
Where Nuclear Engineering graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 19,400 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 14,500 | +3.8% | 41% | |
| Nuclear engineers | 800 | -1.1% | 55% | |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | 4,100 | +8.1% | 50% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Nuclear Engineering
9 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN |
69 66–70 |
$73,724/yr | 16.4x |
| 2 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR |
69 67–70 |
$69,657/yr | 17.7x |
| 3 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR |
68 66–69 |
$69,657/yr | 16.5x |
| 4 | Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO |
67 65–69 |
$77,947/yr | 14.2x |
| 5 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX |
67 65–68 |
$66,604/yr | 16.5x |
| 6 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC |
59 57–61 |
$74,540/yr | 19.9x |
| 7 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY |
57 54–58 |
$77,014/yr | 3.0x |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL |
56 53–57 |
$81,134/yr | 11.7x |
| 9 | Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN |
55 53–56 |
$63,226/yr | 14.8x |
Highest Earning Nuclear Engineering Programs
Schools where Nuclear Engineering graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $81,134/yr | 56 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | $77,947/yr | 67 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $77,014/yr | 57 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $74,540/yr | 59 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $73,724/yr | 69 |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | $69,657/yr | 69 |
| Oregon State University | $69,657/yr | 68 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | $66,604/yr | 67 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus | $63,226/yr | 55 |
Best ROI for Nuclear Engineering
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Nuclear Engineering.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 19.9x | $74,540/yr | 59 |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | 17.7x | $69,657/yr | 69 |
| Oregon State University | 16.5x | $69,657/yr | 68 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | 16.5x | $66,604/yr | 67 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 16.4x | $73,724/yr | 69 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus | 14.8x | $63,226/yr | 55 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | 14.2x | $77,947/yr | 67 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 11.7x | $81,134/yr | 56 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 3.0x | $77,014/yr | 57 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Consider the Trade Route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Nuclear Engineering offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.