Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Bachelor's Degree · about 18 graduates a year
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates in nuclear engineering earn 12% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 22% of one year’s pay at that point.
How Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Compares for Nuclear Engineering
All 12 colleges reporting nuclear engineering earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | Adj. rank | 1 yr after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $116,047 | $114,015 | #2 | $81,134 |
| 2 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA | $114,772 | $118,812 | #1 | — |
| 3 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX | $103,438 | $105,166 | #6 | $66,604 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | $102,449 | $106,603 | #5 | — |
| 5 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | $100,212 | $107,542 | #4 | $74,540 |
| 6 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN | $99,139 | $108,299 | #3 | $73,724 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | $94,365 | $95,970 | #9 | $78,218 |
| 8 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | $94,330 | $99,460 | #7 | — |
| 9 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | $94,105 | $94,659 | #10 | $69,657 |
| 10 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR | $94,105 | $94,659 | #11 | $69,657 |
| 11 | Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO | $89,929 | $96,423 | #8 | $77,947 |
| 12 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | $87,239 | $83,033 | #12 | $77,014 |
Other Majors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by Graduate Pay
| Major | 4 yrs after | 1 yr after | Rank in major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $141,528 | $104,943 | #42 of 349 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $125,531 | $94,722 | #1 of 27 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $115,100 | $85,172 | #65 of 459 |
| Mathematics | $105,768 | $80,196 | #20 of 309 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $104,596 | $83,412 | #66 of 258 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $103,306 | $74,427 | #18 of 118 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $99,713 | $47,925 | #30 of 1176 |
| Chemical Engineering | $98,679 | $78,263 | #61 of 158 |
| Industrial Engineering | $98,509 | $74,787 | #45 of 94 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $94,750 | $73,213 | #35 of 59 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $92,952 | $73,833 | #132 of 318 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $87,358 | $36,191 | #6 of 299 |
| Civil Engineering | $86,794 | $71,790 | #99 of 233 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | $83,958 | — | #10 of 207 |
| Materials Engineering | $82,947 | $66,927 | #32 of 34 |
| Physics | $81,840 | $60,348 | #43 of 107 |
| Architecture | $75,551 | $54,334 | #11 of 78 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute nuclear engineering graduates make?
Graduates earn a median $77,014 one year after graduating and $87,239 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute rank for nuclear engineering?
Among 12 colleges reporting earnings for nuclear engineering graduates, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks #12 by median pay four years after graduation, and #12 after adjusting for state wage levels.
Is nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute worth it?
Its graduates earn 12% less than the national median for nuclear engineering ($99,297), and the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.
← All data for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Methodology
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.