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Reactor engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a reactor engineer. Reactor engineers usually study nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering. 82% of reactor engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 98 real reactor engineer resumes to see exactly what reactor engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for reactor engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online reactor engineer courses to help get the education required to be a reactor engineer.
What education do you need to become a reactor engineer?
What degree do you need to be a reactor engineer?
- Bachelor's, 82%
- Master's, 17%
- Diploma, 1%
What should I major in to become a reactor engineer?
- Nuclear Engineering, 46%
- Physics, 7%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for reactor engineers
| Reactor engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 12.20% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.76% |
| Purdue University | 7.32% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.32% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 7.32% |
Best majors for reactor engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear Engineering | 45.9% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 10.8% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 9.5% |
| 4 | Physics | 6.8% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 4.1% |
Best colleges for reactor engineers
The best colleges for reactor engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A 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 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 reactor 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
7. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,880
Enrollment
6,590
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
20 best online courses for reactor engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for reactor engineers
The most affordable schools for reactor engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for 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 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. 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
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for reactor engineers
The hardest universities for reactor engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for 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 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for reactor engineers
The easiest schools for reactor engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 reactor engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average reactor engineer salary by education level
| Reactor engineer education level | Reactor engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $110,364 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $96,768 |
| Doctorate Degree | $123,445 |
Reactor engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025