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2026 Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nuclear engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nuclear Engineering Schools
For return on investment in nuclear engineering, no school beat University Of New Mexico Main Campus this year. Set in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,140 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,060. Students borrow a median of $19,738 to complete the nuclear engineering program here. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates make about $49,983. Set against $19,738 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
Texas A And M University College Station is a great value for students pursuing a degree in nuclear engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Students borrow a median of $18,471 to complete the nuclear engineering program here. Soon after graduation, nuclear engineering degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $66,604. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Narrow Nuclear Engineering Schools by State
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
ADBLOCK #116
[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.
