Nuclear operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a nuclear operator. Nuclear operators usually study business, nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies, or electrical engineering. 60% of nuclear operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 262 real nuclear operator resumes to see exactly what nuclear operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for nuclear operators are the Thomas College and the Thomas College.

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

What education do you need to become a nuclear operator?

What degree do you need to be a nuclear operator?

The most common degree for nuclear operators is bachelor's degree, with 60% of nuclear operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 12%

Master's, 11%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a nuclear operator?

You should major in business to become a nuclear operator. 14% of nuclear operators major in business. Other common majors for a nuclear operator include nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies and electrical engineering.

Business, 14%

Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies, 12%

Electrical Engineering, 10%

Nuclear Engineering, 8%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for nuclear operators

Nuclear operators often get their degrees at Thomas College, The New School, and Thomas Edison State University. Here are the most common colleges for nuclear operators in the US based on their resumes.

Nuclear operator common college	Percentages
Thomas College	16.33%
The New School	10.20%
Thomas Edison State University	10.20%
Excelsior College	6.12%
New York University	4.08%

Show more common nuclear operator colleges

Best majors for nuclear operators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	13.6%
2	Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies	11.8%
3	Electrical Engineering	10.0%
4	Nuclear Engineering	8.2%
5	Nuclear Engineering Technology	8.2%

Show more common nuclear operator majors

Best colleges for nuclear operators

The best colleges for nuclear operators are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A nuclear operator 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 operators. 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 operators.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for nuclear operators

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4.7

(681)

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Top 10 most affordable universities for nuclear operators

The most affordable schools for nuclear operators are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for nuclear operators 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 operators.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for nuclear operators

The hardest universities for nuclear operators to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for nuclear operators 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 operators 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for nuclear operators

The easiest schools for nuclear operators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the university of texas permian basin, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a nuclear operator 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 operators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average nuclear operator salary by education level

Nuclear operators with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $59,026 annually. With a Associate degree, nuclear operators earn a median annual income of $52,494 compared to $48,832 for nuclear operators with an High School Diploma degree.

Nuclear operator education level	Nuclear operator salary
High School Diploma or Less	$48,832
Bachelor's Degree	$59,026
Some College/ Associate Degree	$52,494

Nuclear operator education FAQs

What is the best college for Nuclear Operators?

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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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