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2023 Best Value Colleges for Nuclear Engineering

22 Ranked Colleges
864 Degrees Awarded
$17,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 864 people earned their degree in nuclear engineering, making the major the 253rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, nuclear engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $59,111 and had an average of $22,196 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in nuclear engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nuclear engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the nuclear engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Nuclear Engineering Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for nuclear engineering students.

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Nuclear Engineering

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nuclear engineering degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our nuclear engineering students list, Purdue has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,377 for Nuclear Engineering students per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

2
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kansas State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools. K -State is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our nuclear engineering students list, K -State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,433 for nuclear engineering students per year to attend K -State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Kansas State University Nuclear Engineering Report

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 16 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $5,135 for Nuclear Engineering students per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at UF

4

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 101 diplomas to qualified ’s nuclear engineering students in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $18,919 for nuclear engineering students per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Nuclear Engineering Report

5
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #5 spot on the list. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $16,411 for nuclear engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at NC State

6

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nuclear engineering degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our nuclear engineering students list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,974 for nuclear engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified ’s nuclear engineering students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for Nuclear Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at UW - Madison

8
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 5 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for nuclear engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Nuclear Engineering Report

9

Missouri University of Science and Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nuclear engineering degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,964 for nuclear engineering students per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Nuclear Engineering Report

10

With a ranking of #10, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 67 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UT Knoxville is $18,579 for nuclear engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Nuclear Engineering Report

11
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #11. U of U is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 5 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U also took the #20 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,572 for nuclear engineering students per year to attend U of U.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Utah Nuclear Engineering Report

12

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Nuclear Engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at UIUC

13
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. University of Idaho is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of I, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,964 for nuclear engineering students per year to attend U of I.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Idaho Nuclear Engineering Report

14

University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. This large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 21 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our nuclear engineering students list, UNM has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNM is $14,424 for nuclear engineering students.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

15
ISU crest
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho

Idaho State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pocatello, Idaho, and it awarded 15 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our nuclear engineering students list, ISU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Idaho State University is $17,410 for nuclear engineering students.

Full Idaho State University Nuclear Engineering Report

16

University of California - Berkeley landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 45 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our nuclear engineering students list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for Nuclear Engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Berkeley Nuclear Engineering Report

17
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, this large public school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified ’s nuclear engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oregon State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oregon State is $21,508 for Nuclear Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Oregon State University

18

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 9 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for nuclear engineering students per year to attend Ohio State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ohio State Nuclear Engineering Report

19
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 7 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Mines is $27,114 for nuclear engineering students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Colorado School of Mines Nuclear Engineering Report

20

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #20. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 75 ’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,878 for Nuclear Engineering students per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at U-M

21

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. RPI is a private not-for-profit institution located in Troy, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

RPI also took the #6 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $33,937 for nuclear engineering students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Nuclear Engineering Report

22

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for MIT is $16,407 for nuclear engineering students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at MIT

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