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# Best Nuclear Engineering Programs in the South (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-south/)

Regional list from [Nuclear Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-nuclear-engineering-programs/)

This page ranks the 5 Nuclear Engineering programs in the South by median earnings of Nuclear Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. [Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/majors/) leads the list at $114,772, followed by [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) at $103,438 and [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/majors/) at $100,212.

Across the list, reported medians range from $114,772 to $59,124, with a median of $100,212. For 1 of the 5 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

All 5 programs are at 100% public institutions. Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

University of Florida posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $6,541, and also the highest admission rate, admitting 57% of applicants.

## The ranked list

5 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $114,772 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
|  | [Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, with [median earnings of $114,772](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Nuclear Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $103,438 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $18,471](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/cost/) among Nuclear Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside earnings of $103,438 four years after completing. |
| 3 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $100,212 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
|  | [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/majors/) posts an [average net price of $17,303,](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/cost/) and its Nuclear Engineering graduates earned a median of $100,212 four years after completing. |
| 4 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $99,139 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
|  | [The University of Tennessee-Knoxville](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/majors/) [admits 42% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $99,139 for its Nuclear Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $59,124 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
|  | [University of Florida](/school/university-of-florida/majors/) carries an [average net price of $6,541,](/school/university-of-florida/cost/) the lowest on the page, and its Nuclear Engineering graduates earned a median of $59,124 four years after completing. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Nuclear Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 1 of the 5 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 5 schools with a published figure. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus leads Texas A&M University-College Station by a gap of $11,334, and the spread from top to bottom is $55,648.

## Job market context in the South

Nuclear Engineering graduates in the South enter occupations such as Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary and Nuclear Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $119,015; a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $85,476. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 8.7% higher, with 6,520 projected openings a year and more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here.

## Related rankings

-   [Nuclear Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-nuclear-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-south/)