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2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

17 Ranked Colleges
477 Degrees Awarded
$17,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 948 people earned their degree in nuclear engineering, making the major the 233rd most popular in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering (With Aid)

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 #1 for the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 30 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nuclear engineering students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid 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 21 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,302 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid per year to attend University of Florida.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Nuclear Engineering Report

#4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $16,636 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at MIT

#5

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #5 spot on the list. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 19 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid list, NC State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $16,458 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at NC State

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 15 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Nuclear Engineering Report

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $14,739 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at Georgia Tech

Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 69 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $19,057 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

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 Texas A&M University - College Station Nuclear Engineering Report

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $15,336 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low 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%.

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

#12

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#17 in overall quality

University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nuclear engineering students in 2019-2020.

UNM also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $14,446 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid per year to attend UNM.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

#13

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Idaho State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Pocatello, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

ISU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $16,810 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students with aid per year to attend Idaho State University.

Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Idaho State University

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nuclear engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Knoxville is $18,825 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Knoxville Nuclear Engineering Report

#15

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Oregon State is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 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 $20,016 for Bachelor’s Degree Nuclear Engineering students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 full report on Nuclear Engineering at Oregon State

#16

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, South Carolina

South Carolina State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Orangeburg, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

South Carolina State University also made our “Best Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend South Carolina State University is $20,795 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at South Carolina State University

With a ranking of #17, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. RPI is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 30 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $35,464 for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students with aid.

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.

Read more about Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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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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