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Nuclear Engineering

Types of Degrees Nuclear Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Nuclear Engineering may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	431
Master’s Degree	349
Doctor’s Degree	169

What Nuclear Engineering Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Nuclear Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Nuclear Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Nuclear Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Nuclear Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Nuclear Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Nuclear Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Nuclear Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
C++	Object or component oriented development software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Nuclear Engineering graduates include:

• Electronic Science Teacher
• Chemical Engineering Professor
• Mechanical Engineering Professor
• Civil Engineering Teacher
• Sanitary Engineering Teacher
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Metallography Teacher
• Automotive Engineering Teacher
• Technical Professor
• Engineering Professor
• Design Teacher
• Engineering Faculty Member
• Petroleum Engineering Professor
• Instructor
• University Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Nuclear Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	39.2%
Bachelor’s degree	19.4%
Post-master’s certificate	12.6%
Master’s degree	12.5%
Post-doctoral training	11.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.3%
First professional degree	1.2%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Nuclear Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 76.5% of Nuclear Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	225	23.5%
Men	734	76.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Nuclear Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	561	58.5%
Asian	54	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	99	10.3%
Black or African American	21	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	53	5.5%
Race Unknown	29	3.0%
International Students	139	14.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Nuclear Engineering Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Nuclear Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$74,651
4 years	$86,581
5 years	$99,579

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $99,579 — roughly 33% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Nuclear Engineering Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Nuclear Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	5
Doctoral (Research)	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Nuclear Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Nuclear Engineering graduates earn a median of $86,581 four years after completion — roughly 128% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Engineering	14
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	14.02
Agricultural Engineering	14.03
Architectural Engineering	14.04
Biochemical Engineering	14.43
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	14.05
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.06
Chemical Engineering	14.07
Civil Engineering	14.08
Computer Engineering	14.09
Construction Engineering	14.33

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.