SC State’s nuclear engineering program named one of nation’s best values

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – South Carolina State University’s nuclear engineering program has been designated as one of the 25 best values in the nation for 2021 by Best Value Schools.

SC State landed at No. 20 on the list, just behind the University of Tennessee (No. 19) and ahead of such prestigious institutions as Penn State (No. 22) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 24).

“South Carolina State University is a historically black university that is dedicated to making nuclear engineering accessible to students of all backgrounds,” Best Value Schools stated on its website.

SC State is the only school offering a four-year nuclear engineering degree in South Carolina, as well as among the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program has partnerships with the University of Wisconsin and North Carolina State University.

SC State also is a member of the Battelle Savanah River Alliance, which brings world-class expertise in laboratory management, nuclear operations, national security, and scientific research to Savannah River National Laboratory.

Best Value Schools looked at annual tuition and graduation rates in assessing programs. The organization described nuclear engineering as focusing on generating, controlling, and applying nuclear energy in ways that benefit humanity.

“When people think of nuclear engineering, they often think of nuclear power generators. This is certainly one prominent application of nuclear engineering,” the organization stated on its website. “However, the applications of nuclear engineering run from nuclear power to chemotherapy to medical imaging.”