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Nuclear reactor engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a nuclear reactor engineer. Nuclear reactor engineers usually study mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, or physics. 83% of nuclear reactor engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 27 real nuclear reactor engineer resumes to see exactly what nuclear reactor engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for nuclear reactor engineers are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.
There are also many online nuclear reactor engineer courses to help get the education required to be a nuclear reactor engineer.
What education do you need to become a nuclear reactor engineer?
What degree do you need to be a nuclear reactor engineer?
- Bachelor's, 83%
- Master's, 13%
- Diploma, 4%
What should I major in to become a nuclear reactor engineer?
- Nuclear Engineering, 21%
- Physics, 17%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for nuclear reactor engineers
| Nuclear reactor engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | 11.76% |
| Old Dominion University | 5.88% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.88% |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | 5.88% |
| Iowa State University of Science and Technology | 5.88% |
Best majors for nuclear reactor engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 25.0% |
| 2 | Nuclear Engineering | 20.8% |
| 3 | Physics | 16.7% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 8.3% |
| 5 | Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies | 4.2% |
Best colleges for nuclear reactor engineers
The best colleges for nuclear reactor engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A nuclear reactor 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 reactor 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 reactor engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
2. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for nuclear reactor engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for nuclear reactor engineers
The most affordable schools for nuclear reactor engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida international university.
If the best universities for nuclear reactor 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 reactor 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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for nuclear reactor engineers
The hardest universities for nuclear reactor engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for nuclear reactor 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 reactor 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
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for nuclear reactor engineers
The easiest schools for nuclear reactor engineers to get into are Felician University, barry university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a nuclear reactor 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 reactor engineers.
1. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
10. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
Average nuclear reactor engineer salary by education level
| Nuclear reactor engineer education level | Nuclear reactor engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $111,378 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,708 |
| Doctorate Degree | $129,038 |
Nuclear reactor engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025