Nuclear Medicine Technology · Illinois

Nuclear Medicine Technology colleges in Illinois

CampusPin lists 131 U.S. colleges in Illinois that offer Nuclear Medicine Technology programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

Nuclear Medicine Technology trains you to administer small amounts of radioactive material and image how it moves through the body, for people drawn to hands-on imaging and patient care.

Schools in Illinois that offer Nuclear Medicine Technology

Nuclear Medicine Technology programs in Illinois: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 131 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

131

Public / private

23 / 27

Universities / 2-year

28 / 22

Cities represented

32

In-state tuition range

$3,180–$55,704

Median in-state tuition

$17,339

Lowest published in-state tuition

Elgin Community College

$3,180

Most selective

Chicago State University

41% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

DeVry University-Illinois

29,175 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Nuclear Medicine Technology program

  • Nuclear physics and the principles of radioactive decay
  • Radiopharmacology and preparation of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals
  • Operation of gamma cameras, SPECT, and PET-CT scanners
  • Radiation safety, dosimetry, and regulatory handling of radioactive material
  • Patient positioning, history taking, and clinical monitoring during procedures
  • Quality-control testing and calibration of imaging instrumentation
  • Counting statistics and image reconstruction for nuclear studies
  • Cardiac, bone, and oncologic imaging protocols
  • Supervised clinical rotations in a hospital nuclear medicine department

Where a Nuclear Medicine Technology degree can lead

  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist
  • PET Technologist
  • Radiopharmacy Technician
  • Molecular Imaging Specialist
  • Cardiac Nuclear Technologist
  • Imaging Quality Specialist

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 nuclear medicine technologists median $97,020).

Nuclear Medicine Technology is a hospital-imaging field built around radioactive tracers. Under a physician's direction, technologists prepare and administer small, measured doses of radiopharmaceuticals, position patients, and operate gamma cameras and PET scanners that capture how those tracers concentrate in organs, bone, the heart, or tumors. The images reveal function rather than just structure, which is what separates this work from plain radiography or CT, where X-rays photograph anatomy from the outside; here the signal comes from inside the patient. Coursework grounds you in nuclear physics, radiation biology, radiopharmacology, and instrumentation, alongside human anatomy, patient assessment, and the math and statistics behind counting radioactive decay. You also learn radiation safety and the regulatory rules for handling, storing, and disposing of radioactive material, plus quality-control checks that confirm the equipment and the doses are accurate before any scan.

The usual entry credential is an associate or bachelor's degree in nuclear medicine technology, and programs pair classroom science with supervised clinical rotations in a hospital imaging department so you practice dose calculation, injection, scanning, and patient monitoring on real cases before graduating. Programmatic accreditation and a passing score on a national certification exam are commonly expected, and many states require a license to practice, so prospective students should verify the current requirements where they intend to work. Unlike a diagnostic medical sonographer, who uses sound waves, or a radiologic technologist, who relies on external X-ray equipment, a nuclear medicine technologist works directly with sealed and unsealed radioactive sources and must track exposure for both patient and self. Graduates work in hospital nuclear medicine and PET imaging units, cardiology and oncology centers, outpatient imaging clinics, and radiopharmacies that compound and distribute the tracers used across a region.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of nuclear medicine technologists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $97,020 and projects employment to grow about 3% from 2024 to 2034; an associate's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.

Nuclear Medicine Technology in other states

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Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 131+ Nuclear Medicine Technology programs in Illinois by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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