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Nuclear physicist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a nuclear physicist. Nuclear physicists usually study physics, nuclear engineering, or biology. 53% of nuclear physicists hold a bachelor's degree, and 37% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 25 real nuclear physicist resumes to see exactly what nuclear physicist education sections show.
The most common colleges for nuclear physicists are the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia.
There are also many online nuclear physicist courses to help get the education required to be a nuclear physicist.
What education do you need to become a nuclear physicist?
What degree do you need to be a nuclear physicist?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 37%
- Doctorate, 11%
What should I major in to become a nuclear physicist?
- Physics, 43%
- Nuclear Engineering, 24%
- Biology, 10%
- Other Majors, 18%
Most common colleges for nuclear physicists
| Nuclear physicist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Virginia | 10.53% |
| City College of New York of the City University of New York, The | 5.26% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.26% |
| Georgia Central University | 5.26% |
| Temple University | 5.26% |
Best majors for nuclear physicists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physics | 42.9% |
| 2 | Nuclear Engineering | 23.8% |
| 3 | Biology | 9.5% |
| 4 | Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies | 4.8% |
| 5 | Economics | 4.8% |
Best colleges for nuclear physicists
The best colleges for nuclear physicists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.
A nuclear physicist 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 physicists. 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 physicists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
7. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
20 best online courses for nuclear physicists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for nuclear physicists
The most affordable schools for nuclear physicists are University of Florida, brigham young university, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for nuclear physicists 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 physicists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for nuclear physicists
The hardest universities for nuclear physicists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Yale University.
Some great schools for nuclear physicists 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 physicists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for nuclear physicists
The easiest schools for nuclear physicists to get into are AdventHealth University, barry university, and linfield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a nuclear physicist 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 physicists.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Weatherford, OK • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,085
10. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
Average nuclear physicist salary by education level
| Nuclear physicist education level | Nuclear physicist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,584 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,930 |
| Doctorate Degree | $86,307 |
Nuclear physicist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025