by our College Data Analytics Team
[Nuclear Engineering](/majors/engineering/nuclear-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a nuclear engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find where nuclear engineering graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The nuclear engineering program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. To help, we created our Highest Paid Nuclear Engineering Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its nuclear engineering graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Nuclear Engineering Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
If you want to know which schools send nuclear engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in nuclear engineering, no school beat University Of Florida this year. University Of Florida is a public school located in the city of Gainesville. After graduating, nuclear engineering degree recipients from University Of Florida typically earn about $112,160 annually.
University Of Wisconsin Madison came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nuclear engineering schools. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public school located in the city of Madison. After graduating, nuclear engineering degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison typically earn about $110,897 annually.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nuclear engineering schools. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. After graduating, nuclear engineering degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor typically earn about $99,564 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus one of the highest-paying schools for nuclear engineering. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates from Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus make a median of around $98,613 per year.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nuclear engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Troy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Nuclear Engineering graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn a median of about $97,907 a year early in their careers.
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The University Of Tennessee earned the #6 position for nuclear engineering graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a public institution. Nuclear Engineering graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of about $94,044 a year early in their careers.
Missouri University Of Science And Technology placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for nuclear engineering. Located in the town of Rolla, Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a public institution. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates from Missouri University Of Science And Technology make a median of around $86,902 per year.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign landed the #8 spot for nuclear engineering salaries this year. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public school located in the city of Champaign. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign make a median of around $81,134 per year.
Oregon State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nuclear engineering schools. Set in the city of Corvallis, Oregon State University is a public institution. Early-career nuclear engineering graduates from Oregon State University make a median of around $94,372 per year.
Texas A And M University College Station placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for nuclear engineering. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a public institution. After graduating, nuclear engineering degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station typically earn about $91,599 annually.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #11 for nuclear engineering graduate earnings this year. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public school located in the city of Raleigh. After graduating, nuclear engineering degree recipients from North Carolina State University At Raleigh typically earn about $74,540 annually.
Purdue University Main Campus ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nuclear engineering schools. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the nuclear engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,226.
This list is compiled 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 · 12 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.
