Best Petroleum Engineering Programs in the United States
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the United States
This page ranks the 19 Petroleum Engineering programs in the United States by median earnings of Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Tulsa leads the list with median earnings of $145,353 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $145,353 to $77,469, with a median of $102,594. For 1 of the 19 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 89% of the list, with 17 public and 2 private nonprofit programs. The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page. Texas A&M University-Kingsville posts the lowest average net price, at $12,090.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Tulsa · Tulsa, OK | $145,353 | $15,000 | $5,578 | 61.5% |
| University of Tulsa reports $145,353 in median earnings for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $5,578 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $139,867 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin admits 27% of applicants and ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 3 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $139,864 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Texas Tech University posts median earnings of $139,864 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 43 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 4 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $123,416 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus carries a median federal debt of $23,000 among Petroleum Engineering completers who borrowed and an average net price of $15,300. | |||||
| 5 | Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO | $116,691 | $28,690 | $16,849 | 60.7% |
| Colorado School of Mines ranks 5th on this list, with median earnings of $116,691 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $114,686 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station shows an admission rate of 57% and a median federal debt of $18,969 among Petroleum Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $113,669 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports an average net price of $32,875 and median earnings of $113,669 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Montana Technological University · Butte, MT | $106,076 | $16,481 | $11,914 | 91.1% |
| Montana Technological University admits 91% of applicants and carries a median federal debt of $27,000 among Petroleum Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 9 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA | $103,421 | $19,151 | $13,056 | 73.3% |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College posts median earnings of $103,421 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $13,056 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette · Lafayette, LA | $102,594 | $13,530 | $11,157 | 87.0% |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette ranks 10th on this list and reports an average net price of $13,530. | |||||
| 11 | Missouri University of Science and Technology · Rolla, MO | $102,405 | $16,298 | $10,912 | 72.6% |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology shows median earnings of $102,405 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 19 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 12 | University of Wyoming · Laramie, WY | $100,911 | $13,599 | $7,977 | 96.9% |
| University of Wyoming admits 97% of applicants and carries a median federal debt of $24,188 among Petroleum Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 13 | University of North Dakota · Grand Forks, ND | $99,932 | $18,551 | $13,126 | 76.9% |
| Ranking 13th on this list, University of North Dakota reports median earnings of $99,932 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Marietta College · Marietta, OH | $99,295 | $21,083 | $18,254 | 79.3% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Marietta, Marietta College shows an average net price of $21,083 and an admission rate of 79%. | |||||
| 15 | University of Kansas · Lawrence, KS | $97,527 | $18,059 | $12,544 | 93.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $21,000 in federal loans at University of Kansas, which ranks 183rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $94,651 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston ranks 16th on this list and posts median earnings of $94,651 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $91,142 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
| With an admission rate of 89%, West Virginia University reports an average net price of $9,450 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 18 | The University of Texas Permian Basin · Odessa, TX | $87,532 | $12,723 | $11,930 | 94.9% |
| The University of Texas Permian Basin ranks 298th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $87,532 for its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $77,469 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville reports an average net price of $12,090, and its Petroleum Engineering graduates four years after completing earned a median of $77,469. | |||||
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 the United States appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 1 of the 19 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 gap between University of Tulsa and The University of Texas at Austin is $5,486, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $67,884.
Job market context in the United States
Graduates of Petroleum Engineering programs in the United States enter occupations such as Petroleum Engineers and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $116,486, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $85,856. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 4.3% higher, with 19,800 projected openings a year and about 2,644 openings a year for every hundred graduates, suggesting more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here.
Related rankings
- Best Engineering Colleges in the United States
- Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility