How difficult is Navy Nuclear Power School compared to Caltech or MIT?

Answer 1

There is no question that Navy Nuclear careers are much more difficult than anything civilian training can provide. It's a fact that most civilian reactors are in fact operated by former Navy nuclear-trained personnel.

Naval Enlisted NPS is not easy - unlike a traditional school, in addition to book work and study, you're also required to stand watches and learn reactor operations, maintenance, repair, etc. for your particular area of skill (Electrician, Electronics, Machinist) on an operating reactor. This is why NPS graduates quickly qualify as watchstanders on the ships/submarines they report to - they're already qualified on the systems.

The Navy's program is also a lot more accelerated - remember that in a traditional school, you're not just learning Nuclear Power. You're also stuck with all of the other things a traditional degree entails.

For those lucky enough to go to the Naval Academy, you'll get a degree and the opportunity to train as an Engineer Officer should you choose to go through that career path leading to command of a ship or submarine that is nuclear powered. Such careers are much more prestigious than any traditional degree can afford, but it takes a lot of dedication and much more hard work than any traditional school. The term "Failure is not an Option" is also key on Nuclear Powered Navy ships - a single mistake made by an officer, however small, concerning anything in the reactor or engineering spaces is enough to end that officer's Naval career. I've seen it happen twice during my own Naval tours. The Navy many operational reactor years of experience, and with an exceptionally safe record. It remains that way because it does not tolerate mistakes. You won't see that same discipline in the civilian industry.