Engineering ยท bachelor's degree
Petroleum Engineering major: colleges and pay
25 colleges in our data award bachelor's degrees in petroleum engineering, 489 of them in 2023-24. Graduates of the typical program earned $89,188 a year after graduating and $102,594 four years after.
Colleges where petroleum engineering graduates earn the most
Programs with at least 10 graduates in 2023-24, ranked by median earnings four years after graduation.
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of TulsaTulsa, OK | 15 | n/a | $145,353 | n/a |
| The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX | 61 | $87,445 | $139,867 | $17,738 |
| Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX | 26 | n/a | $139,864 | $14,711 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK | 26 | $89,188 | $123,416 | n/a |
| Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO | 28 | $107,179 | $116,691 | $21,452 |
| Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX | 91 | $96,207 | $114,686 | $16,500 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, PA | 68 | $79,009 | $113,669 | n/a |
| Montana Technological UniversityButte, MT | 10 | n/a | $106,076 | n/a |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA | 27 | $99,842 | $103,421 | $27,000 |
| University of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette, LA | 13 | $92,902 | $102,594 | n/a |
| Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO | 11 | n/a | $102,405 | n/a |
| University of WyomingLaramie, WY | 14 | n/a | $100,911 | n/a |
| University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND | 10 | n/a | $99,932 | n/a |
| Marietta CollegeMarietta, OH | 11 | $87,881 | $99,295 | $26,550 |
| University of HoustonHouston, TX | 13 | $96,730 | $94,651 | n/a |
| West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV | 14 | $87,855 | $91,142 | n/a |
Largest petroleum engineering programs
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX | 91 | $96,207 | $114,686 | $16,500 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, PA | 68 | $79,009 | $113,669 | n/a |
| The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX | 61 | $87,445 | $139,867 | $17,738 |
| Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO | 28 | $107,179 | $116,691 | $21,452 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA | 27 | $99,842 | $103,421 | $27,000 |
| Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX | 26 | n/a | $139,864 | $14,711 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK | 26 | $89,188 | $123,416 | n/a |
| The University of Texas Permian BasinOdessa, TX | 17 | $100,059 | n/a | $25,843 |
| University of TulsaTulsa, OK | 15 | n/a | $145,353 | n/a |
| University of WyomingLaramie, WY | 14 | n/a | $100,911 | n/a |
| West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV | 14 | $87,855 | $91,142 | n/a |
| University of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette, LA | 13 | $92,902 | $102,594 | n/a |
| University of HoustonHouston, TX | 13 | $96,730 | $94,651 | n/a |
| Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO | 11 | n/a | $102,405 | n/a |
| Marietta CollegeMarietta, OH | 11 | $87,881 | $99,295 | $26,550 |
Graduate degrees in petroleum engineering
Master's: 21 programs, $127,412 first-year earnings; Doctoral: 16 programs. Compare graduate programs.
Every college with a petroleum engineering major
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of TulsaTulsa, OK | 15 | n/a | $145,353 | n/a |
| The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX | 61 | $87,445 | $139,867 | $17,738 |
| Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX | 26 | n/a | $139,864 | $14,711 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK | 26 | $89,188 | $123,416 | n/a |
| Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO | 28 | $107,179 | $116,691 | $21,452 |
| Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX | 91 | $96,207 | $114,686 | $16,500 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, PA | 68 | $79,009 | $113,669 | n/a |
| Montana Technological UniversityButte, MT | 10 | n/a | $106,076 | n/a |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA | 27 | $99,842 | $103,421 | $27,000 |
| University of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette, LA | 13 | $92,902 | $102,594 | n/a |
| Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO | 11 | n/a | $102,405 | n/a |
| University of WyomingLaramie, WY | 14 | n/a | $100,911 | n/a |
| University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND | 10 | n/a | $99,932 | n/a |
| Marietta CollegeMarietta, OH | 11 | $87,881 | $99,295 | $26,550 |
| University of KansasLawrence, KS | 6 | n/a | $97,527 | n/a |
| New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologySocorro, NM | 3 | n/a | $95,234 | n/a |
| University of HoustonHouston, TX | 13 | $96,730 | $94,651 | n/a |
| West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV | 14 | $87,855 | $91,142 | n/a |
| Texas A&M University-KingsvilleKingsville, TX | 5 | $67,996 | $77,469 | n/a |
| The University of Texas Permian BasinOdessa, TX | 17 | $100,059 | n/a | $25,843 |
| Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock, PA | 7 | $76,175 | n/a | n/a |
| Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Saint Francis UniversityLoretto, PA | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Texas A & M International UniversityLaredo, TX | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
How much do petroleum engineering majors make?
Graduates of the typical petroleum engineering program earned a median of $89,188 one year after graduation and $102,594 four years after, in 2024 dollars.
Which college has the highest-paid petroleum engineering graduates?
University of Tulsa, where graduates earned a median of $145,353 four years after graduation (programs with at least 10 graduates).
How many colleges offer a petroleum engineering major?
25 colleges on the College Scorecard awarded bachelor's degrees in petroleum engineering in 2022-23 or 2023-24.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.