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Best Schools for Nuclear Engineering in 2026

9 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Nuclear Engineering, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Nuclear Engineering graduate earns $72,611/yr across 9 schools.

Programs Ranked
9
Avg Earnings
$72,611/yr
Avg DW Score
63/100
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure

All Nuclear Engineering Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public 		69
66–70 		$73,724/yr 16.4x
2 Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Bend, OR · Public 		69
67–70 		$69,657/yr 17.7x
3 Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR · Public 		68
66–69 		$69,657/yr 16.5x
4 Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO · Public 		67
65–69 		$77,947/yr 14.2x
5 Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public 		67
65–68 		$66,604/yr 16.5x
6 North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public 		59
57–61 		$74,540/yr 19.9x
7 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Private nonprofit 		57
54–58 		$77,014/yr 3.0x
8 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public 		56
53–57 		$81,134/yr 11.7x
9 Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public 		55
53–56 		$63,226/yr 14.8x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Nuclear Engineering?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville ranks #1 for Nuclear Engineering with a score of 69/100 and graduate earnings of $73,724/yr.
How much do Nuclear Engineering graduates earn?
Across 9 schools, Nuclear Engineering graduates earn an average of $72,611/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $81,134/yr.
Is Nuclear Engineering a good major for AI resistance?
Nuclear Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 55%, rated "High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.