Nuclear design engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a nuclear design engineer. Nuclear design engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or nuclear engineering. 72% of nuclear design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 105 real nuclear design engineer resumes to see exactly what nuclear design engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for nuclear design engineers are the Old Dominion University and the Old Dominion University.

There are also many online nuclear design engineer courses to help get the education required to be a nuclear design engineer.

What education do you need to become a nuclear design engineer?

What degree do you need to be a nuclear design engineer?

The most common degree for nuclear design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of nuclear design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Associate, 17%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a nuclear design engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a nuclear design engineer. 28% of nuclear design engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a nuclear design engineer include electrical engineering and nuclear engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 28%

Electrical Engineering, 17%

Nuclear Engineering, 17%

Drafting And Design, 9%

Other Majors, 29%

Most common colleges for nuclear design engineers

Nuclear design engineers often get their degrees at Old Dominion University, Clarkson University, and University of Idaho. Here are the most common colleges for nuclear design engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Nuclear design engineer common college	Percentages
Old Dominion University	12.50%
Clarkson University	6.25%
University of Idaho	6.25%
Mississippi State University	6.25%
Miami Dade College	6.25%

Show more common nuclear design engineer colleges

Best majors for nuclear design engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	28.4%
2	Electrical Engineering	17.3%
3	Nuclear Engineering	17.3%
4	Drafting And Design	8.6%
5	Engineering	4.9%

Show more common nuclear design engineer majors

Best colleges for nuclear design engineers

The best colleges for nuclear design engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

A nuclear design engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for nuclear design engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become nuclear design engineers.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

20 best online courses for nuclear design engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for nuclear design engineers

The most affordable schools for nuclear design engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for nuclear design engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for nuclear design engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for nuclear design engineers

The hardest universities for nuclear design engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for nuclear design engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for nuclear design engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for nuclear design engineers

The easiest schools for nuclear design engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - berks.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a nuclear design engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for nuclear design engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

4. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

5. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

10. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

Average nuclear design engineer salary by education level

Nuclear design engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $104,753 annually. With a Master's degree, nuclear design engineers earn a median annual income of $96,612 compared to $87,861 for nuclear design engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Nuclear design engineer education level	Nuclear design engineer salary
Master's Degree	$96,612
Bachelor's Degree	$87,861
Doctorate Degree	$104,753

Nuclear design engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Nuclear Design Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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