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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

17 Ranked Colleges
477 Degrees Awarded
$9,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Nuclear Engineering is the 233rd most popular major in the country with 948 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, nuclear engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $61,244 and had an average of $23,833 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 477 nuclear engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nuclear engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Nuclear Engineering Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 9 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $4,535 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full MIT Nuclear Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 more about Nuclear Engineering at UIUC

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Nuclear Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #9 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nuclear engineering students in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $9,162 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgia Tech Nuclear Engineering Report

#9

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 19 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $7,285 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Nuclear Engineering Report

#10

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

With a ranking of #10, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Nuclear Engineering Report

Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 25 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,755 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

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 low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Missouri University of Science and Technology

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 43 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,224 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at UT Knoxville

#13

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Oregon State University is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 34 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Oregon State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oregon State is $14,157 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Oregon State University Nuclear Engineering Report

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

RPI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $22,662 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend RPI.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full RPI Nuclear Engineering Report

#15

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#17 in overall quality

University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 11 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNM, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,242 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNM.

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

#16

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho
#16 in overall quality

Idaho State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Idaho State University is a fairly large school located in Pocatello, Idaho that handed out 10 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

ISU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ISU is $14,680 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at ISU

#17

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, South Carolina

South Carolina State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. South Carolina State University is a public institution located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

South Carolina State University also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for South Carolina State University is $19,630 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full South Carolina State University Nuclear Engineering Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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