2026 Best Value General Nuclear Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[General Nuclear Engineering](/majors/engineering/nuclear-engineering/general-nuclear-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general nuclear engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general nuclear engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Nuclear Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general nuclear engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Nuclear Engineering Schools
Purdue University Main Campus tops our 2026 list of the best value general nuclear engineering schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,992 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,794. General Nuclear Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. General Nuclear Engineering graduates of Purdue University Main Campus earn a median of $63,226 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general nuclear engineering schools. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,848, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Typical student debt for general nuclear engineering graduates is $22,000. Soon after graduation, general nuclear engineering degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $112,747. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 16%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earned it the #3 place for general nuclear engineering. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. General Nuclear Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,350 in student loans. Early-career general nuclear engineering graduates make about $81,134. That is a strong return on a $21,350 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Wisconsin Madison is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general nuclear engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. 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, while out-of-state students pay about $42,103. General Nuclear Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,813 in student loans. General Nuclear Engineering graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $59,877 early in their careers. Set against $21,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 7 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.
