by our College Data Analytics Team
[Nuclear Engineering](/majors/engineering/nuclear-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a nuclear engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their nuclear engineering graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send nuclear engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is University Of Wisconsin Madison, our #1 for nuclear engineering graduate salaries in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public institution. Nuclear Engineering graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of about $110,897 a year early in their careers.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nuclear engineering schools. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public institution. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor make a median of around $99,564 per year.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nuclear engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public school located in the city of Champaign. Nuclear Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of about $81,134 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in nuclear engineering will find them at Purdue University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Purdue University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of West Lafayette. After graduating, nuclear engineering degree recipients from Purdue University Main Campus typically earn about $63,226 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their nuclear engineering graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.