The Department of Nuclear Engineering retained its position as one of the most prominent graduate programs in the country. For the second straight year, NE was No. 2 among public institutions in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings that were released April 7.
NE’s program, which also ranked No. 3 nationally among all institutions for the second year in a row, has long been considered among the country’s best. The department’s world-class faculty, innovative research, and proximity to East Tennessee’s thriving nuclear corridor have attracted top-tier students to Knoxville.
“The Nuclear Engineering department is proud to again be recognized as a top-ranked program due to the outstanding research activities of our faculty and graduate students,” said TVA Department Chair Brian Wirth. “We are especially proud of the career opportunities that our students receive. We believe that there is no better place to study nuclear engineering and are grateful for strong state support and a growing nuclear industry in East Tennessee.”
Bolstered by NE’s high ranking, Tickle College of Engineering as a whole rose to 28th among public universities and 50th overall.
Where TCE’s graduate programs placed among the top public university rankings:
- Aerospace 34
- Biomedical 56
- Biosystems 20
- Chemical 42
- Civil 31
- Computer Engineering 35
- Computer Science 45
- Electrical 32
- Environmental 38
- Industrial 28
- Materials Science 20
- Mechanical 42
- Nuclear 2
About the U.S. News and World Report Rankings
The Best Graduate Schools rankings are designed to guide prospective students seeking to pursue advanced education beyond the undergraduate level. The rankings assess programs across a range of disciplines including business, education, engineering, law and nursing.
U.S. News’ Best Graduate Schools rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program excellence and statistical data about the quality of each institution’s faculty, research and student outcomes.
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (rpotkey@utk.edu)