by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 12 U.S. colleges awarded 99 degrees and certificates in Nanotechnology. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 51% of graduates. Its 9 related occupations pay an average median salary of $93,277 a year.
It's not often that an entirely new career track is created out of thin air. In just the last decade, nanotechnology has gone from being science fiction to reality. While nanotech in the news has focused on the medical aspects, this technology can be applied to other areas of life such as food safety, computing, and electronics.
Because of the new nature of this field, finding a college to take nanotechnology courses can be difficult. Only a small number of colleges and universities offer related courses, and as you explore institutions offering nanotech programs, you'll see they fall under a wide variety of degrees including associates, bachelors, doctorate and master's degrees.
While some colleges offer nanotechnology as a ??specialization" or minor to a larger program such as physics, materials science or electrical engineering, some colleges offer full-blown degrees in nanotechnology. College Factual is a good place to start when seeking your undergraduate degree in nanotechnology. Be sure to check the ??Most Popular" rankings to see Nanotechnology programs ranked by the number of graduates.
Nanotechnology careers are centered on using technology at an extremely small scale - at the nanoscale to be precise. The applications of this technology are vast, and it is now used to build faster processors and semiconductors, in the medical field to deliver medicine to targeted cells, in waste disposal, robotics, and more.
Studying Nanotechnology covers Nanotechnology.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, nanotechnology is a popular field of study, with 99 degrees awarded annually. 12 colleges award nanotechnology degrees, an average of 8 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 39.
By level, the 99 awards include 3 associate degrees, 11 bachelor’s degrees, 50 master’s degrees and 35 doctorates.
Women earned 40% of nanotechnology degrees and certificates in the latest year (40 of 99). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (38) and Asian (12), and international students earned 31.
The most common nanotechnology credential is the master’s degree: 50 of the 99 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to nanotechnology call most for Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension and Complex Problem Solving, and for knowledge of Engineering and Technology, Mathematics and Physics, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Deductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension and Inductive Reasoning.
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology, you may be exposed to classes in science, biology, mathematics, physical and computer sciences. You must have an inquisitive nature and be able to work in a fast-paced environment - frequently research is driven by profits so the first to the finish line wins.
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How long a nanotechnology degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 3 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 11 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 50 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 35 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to nanotechnology, at 46.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 46.6% |
| Doctoral degree | 17.2% |
| Master’s degree | 11.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.8% |
| Some college courses | 3.8% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 2.4% |
| First professional degree | 1.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.2% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.6% |
Source: O*NET Online.
9 occupations are related to Nanotechnology, with an average median salary of $93,277; the strongest outlook belongs to Solar Energy Systems Engineers, at 14.5% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Engineer, Research Engineer, Project Engineer and Consulting Engineer.
Careers are varied and can exist in any number of industry verticals. Food science, medicine, technology, cosmetics - all are practical nanotechnology applications. Because the field is so new, it is difficult to put numbers on average salaries and the number of positions available. Because the demand is strong and the stakes are high, you will likely need higher levels of education to make it in the nanotechnology field.
The occupation related to nanotechnology with the most projected jobs is Nanosystems Engineers, at 358,781.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Nanosystems Engineers | 358,781 | -2.9% |
| Wind Energy Engineers | 353,305 | 12.7% |
| Engineers, All Other | 292,948 | -4.3% |
| Solar Energy Systems Engineers | 266,797 | 14.5% |
| Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar | 227,778 | 6.7% |
| Robotics Engineers | 141,385 | 8.6% |
| Mechatronics Engineers | 101,153 | 3.6% |
| Photonics Engineers | 46,226 | 13.0% |
The highest-paying occupation related to nanotechnology is Engineers, All Other, with a median salary of $136,628.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Engineers, All Other | $136,628 |
| Solar Energy Systems Engineers | $116,775 |
| Mechatronics Engineers | $115,569 |
| Microsystems Engineers | $104,558 |
| Wind Energy Engineers | $98,460 |
| Photonics Engineers | $84,667 |
| Robotics Engineers | $72,925 |
| Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar | $59,756 |
Nanotechnology includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Nanotechnology (99). It has 18 similar majors in the Engineering Technologies field, which together award 98,948 degrees a year; the largest are Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians (13,228), Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (12,892) and Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians (12,771). Browse all Engineering Technologies majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Nanotechnology | 99 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.