2027 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Nuclear Engineering](/majors/engineering/nuclear-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for nuclear engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nuclear engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Michigan Ann Arbor the best value for a degree in nuclear engineering in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for nuclear engineering graduates is $22,000. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates make about $112,747. Set against $22,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 16%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earned it the #2 place for nuclear engineering. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for nuclear engineering graduates is $21,350. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates make about $81,134. Set against $21,350 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Purdue University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in nuclear engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of West Lafayette. In-state tuition and fees average $9,992, with out-of-state students paying around $28,794. Typical student debt for nuclear engineering graduates is $20,500. Soon after graduation, nuclear engineering degree recipients from Purdue University Main Campus generally make around $63,226. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in nuclear engineering will find it at University Of Wisconsin Madison, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,603, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Nuclear Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,813 in student loans. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates make about $59,877. That is a strong return on a $21,813 median debt. The acceptance rate is 45%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
