by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 864 people earned their degree in nuclear engineering, making the major the 253rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, nuclear engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $59,111 and had an average of $22,196 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 409 nuclear engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in nuclear engineering. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their nuclear engineering program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree nuclear engineering students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend United States Military Academy. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major. West Point is located in West Point, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Rolla, Missouri, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Nuclear Engineering Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, South Carolina State University landed the #3 spot on the 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 2020-2021.
Full South Carolina State University Nuclear Engineering Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Troy, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nuclear engineering students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend United States Naval Academy. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major list. This small school is located in Annapolis, Maryland, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Nuclear Engineering at United States Naval Academy
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #6. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #7, Idaho State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major list. ISU is a fairly large public school situated in Pocatello, Idaho. It awarded 10 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M College Station
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #11, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nuclear engineering students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 97%.
Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #13. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Nuclear Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
North Carolina State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major list. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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%.
Read more about Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University
University of California - Berkeley came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 undergraduate students.
University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nuclear Engineering at University of Florida
With a ranking of #20, University at Buffalo did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major list. University at Buffalo is a public institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at University at Buffalo
Wilberforce University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking. This small school is located in Wilberforce, Ohio, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s nuclear engineering degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Nuclear Engineering at Wilberforce University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Nuclear Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #20. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
