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# Best Petroleum Engineering Programs in Texas (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-texas/)

This page ranks the 6 Petroleum Engineering programs in Texas by the median earnings of Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) leads the list at $139,867, followed by [Texas Tech University](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/) at $139,864, a gap of just $3.

Across the listed schools, the median figure is $104,668, with a range from $139,867 to $77,469. For 1 of the 6 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

All 6 schools are 6 public institutions. The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville posts the lowest average net price on the list at $12,090, while The University of Texas Permian Basin has the highest admission rate, admitting 95% of applicants.

## The ranked list

6 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $139,867 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) reports [median earnings of $139,867](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/outcomes/) for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $139,864 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
|  | [Texas Tech University](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/) [admits 73% of applicants](/school/texas-tech-university/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $139,864 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $114,686 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | With 93 graduates in the earnings cohort, [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) reports a [median of $114,686](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/outcomes/) for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $94,651 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
|  | [University of Houston](/school/university-of-houston/majors/) carries an [average net price of $14,276](/school/university-of-houston/cost/) and reports median earnings of $94,651 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | The University of Texas Permian Basin · Odessa, TX | $87,532 | $12,723 | $11,930 | 94.9% |
|  | [The University of Texas Permian Basin](/school/the-university-of-texas-permian-basin/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-texas-permian-basin/admissions/) and its Petroleum Engineering graduates earned a median of $87,532 four years after completing. |
| 6 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $77,469 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-Kingsville](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/majors/) reports [median earnings of $77,469](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/outcomes/) for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $22,934 in federal loans. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Texas appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 6 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 6 schools with a published figure. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University sit just $3 apart at the top, while the spread from first to last reaches $62,398.

## Job market context in Texas

Occupations linked to Petroleum Engineering in Texas include Petroleum Engineers and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $147,850, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $103,830. State projections show about 2,710 openings a year, or roughly 993 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 12.8% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupation-wide wage figures shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Petroleum Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-petroleum-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-texas/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-for-social-mobility-in-texas/)