Nuclear Engineering: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 14 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Nuclear Engineering pays
Career outlook for Nuclear Engineering graduates
The job market for the occupations Nuclear Engineering graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | 212,500 | +3.8% | $167,740 | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | 50,300 | +8.1% | $106,120 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Nuclear engineers | 15,400 | -1.1% | $127,520 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Nuclear Engineering vs similar majors
How Nuclear Engineering stacks up against the closest fields in Engineering on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Nuclear Engineering Engineering · this major | Operations Research | Systems Engineering | Computer Engineering | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 91 A | 94 A | 88 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $102,594 | $168,920 | $135,617 | $112,722 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $72,893 | $91,796 | $111,379 | $81,735 |
| ROI vs cost | +616% | +1,484% | +996% | +745% |
| Typical debt | $23,079 | $17,166 | $29,370 | $22,332 |
| Colleges offering it | 14 | 6 | 26 | 168 |
Nuclear Engineering earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Nuclear Engineering
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Associate's | $112,160 | — | +5,034% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | Associate's | $110,897 | — | +1,799% | Strong return |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA | Associate's | $98,613 | $21,426 | +1,573% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Associate's | $99,564 | $20,500 | +1,517% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA | Certificate | $94,224 | $27,000 | +1,122% | Strong return |
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, PA | Certificate | $129,767 | — | +984% | Strong return |
| 7 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR | Associate's | $94,372 | $27,000 | +975% | Strong return |
| 8 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Associate's | $94,044 | $22,500 | +963% | Strong return |
| 9 | Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO | Associate's | $86,902 | $22,773 | +925% | Strong return |
| 10 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | Associate's | $94,372 | $27,000 | +907% | Strong return |
| 11 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX | Associate's | $91,599 | $18,471 | +844% | Strong return |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | Associate's | $102,125 | $24,623 | +665% | Strong return |
| 13 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | Associate's | $97,907 | $19,500 | +565% | Strong return |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | Certificate | $129,767 | — | +545% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.