Best Colleges for Petroleum Engineering

Petroleum Engineering graduates enter one of the highest-paying fields straight out of college, with average starting salaries of $75,450. With only 19 schools nationwide offering accredited programs, competition for admission remains intense. Students should prioritize programs with strong industry partnerships, hands-on laboratory experiences, and internship placement rates with major energy companies. Look for curricula that balance traditional drilling and extraction methods with emerging technologies like enhanced oil recovery and environmental sustainability practices. Faculty connections to industry professionals and access to modern simulation software are essential. Consider location proximity to oil and gas operations, as many programs offer valuable field experience opportunities that translate directly into career advantages upon graduation.

Schools Ranked

$75,451

Avg. Program Earnings

64.4%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 19 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Median Earnings	Graduation Rate	School Type
1	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, Texas	$92,124	83.8%	public
2	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, Oklahoma	$91,017	75.3%	public
3	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas	$88,723	87.6%	public
4	The University of Texas Permian Basin Odessa, Texas	$87,532	43.0%	public
5	Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas	$83,325	67.5%	public
6	University of Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma	$80,022	73.3%	private-nonprofit
7	Montana Technological University Butte, Montana	$78,343	58.1%	public
8	Colorado School of Mines Golden, Colorado	$77,213	79.4%	public
9	University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska	$75,889	36.7%	public
10	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, New Mexico	$75,204	56.4%	public
11	University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming	$73,949	59.8%	public
12	University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota	$72,762	63.3%	public
13	Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, Missouri	$72,214	63.6%	public
14	Marietta College Marietta, Ohio	$71,575	58.1%	private-nonprofit
15	University of Houston Houston, Texas	$67,380	64.9%	public
16	University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas	$63,005	68.8%	public
17	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, Louisiana	$61,888	52.0%	public
18	West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia	$61,303	61.2%	public
19	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, Louisiana	$60,099	71.0%	public