Nuclear Engineering: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 13 reporting college programs.
+$259,917 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.
Observed national outcomes
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $95,861
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $96,752
- Federal debt
- $23,125
- Reporting programs
- 13
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $110,980
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $146,422
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$116,0472Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus$114,7723Texas A&M University-College Station$103,4384University of Wisconsin-Madison$102,4495North Carolina State University at Raleigh$100,2126The University of Tennessee-Knoxville$99,1397Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$94,3658University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$94,3309Oregon State University$94,10510Oregon State University-Cascades Campus$94,105Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $116,047 | $21,350 | +199% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $114,772 | $24,879 | +205% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $103,438 | $18,471 | +120% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $102,449 | Not available | +130% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $100,212 | $23,250 | +122% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleBachelor's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $99,139 | $23,000 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $94,365 | $24,799 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $94,330 | $22,000 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | Oregon State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Corvallis, OR | $94,105 | $27,000 | +90% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBachelor's Degree | Bend, OR | $94,105 | $27,000 | +95% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Missouri University of Science and TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Rolla, MO | $89,929 | $23,354 | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Troy, NY | $87,239 | $19,500 | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Purdue University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | Not available | $20,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $14,600 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.