Bright outlook
Management
Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
Petroleum Engineering
CIP14.25
25 colleges offer Petroleum Engineering. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 25
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $102,499
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $21,452
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 3
- Bachelor's
- 25
- Master's
- 23
- Doctoral
- 15
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 9
What it covers
About Petroleum Engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for locating, extracting, processing and refining crude petroleum and natural gas, including prospecting instruments and equipment, mining and drilling systems, processing and refining systems and facilities, storage facilities, transportation systems, and related environmental and safety systems.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 14.25.
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 3 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Bachelor's | 25 | $102,4994 yrs after · 18 colleges | $21,4527 colleges |
| Master's | 23 | $192,9074 yrs after · 1 college | Not reported |
| Doctoral | 15 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 9 | Not reported | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Petroleum Engineering graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
Tulsa, OK · Private nonprofit · 15 graduates
$145,353
debt not reported
- 2
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public · 61 graduates
$139,867
debt $17,738
- 3
Lubbock, TX · Public · 26 graduates
$139,864
debt $14,711
- 4
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public · 26 graduates
$123,416
debt not reported
- 5
Golden, CO · Public · 28 graduates
$116,691
debt $21,452
- 6
Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public · 91 graduates
$114,686
debt $16,500
- 7
Montana Technological University
Butte, MT · Public · 10 graduates
$106,076
debt not reported
- 8
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public · 27 graduates
$103,421
debt $27,000
- 9
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA · Public · 13 graduates
$102,594
debt not reported
- 10
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO · Public · 11 graduates
$102,405
debt not reported
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Petroleum Engineering by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
- Bright outlook
Management
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Median pay
- $171,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Complex Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
Architecture and engineering
Petroleum Engineers
- Median pay
- $144,910
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Bright outlook
Education
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $109,270
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Doctoral or professional degree
- Instructing
- Learning Strategies
- Speaking
More in Engineering
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Engineering, General452 colleges
- Mechanical Engineering395 colleges
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering387 colleges
- Computer Engineering367 colleges
- Civil Engineering300 colleges
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering200 colleges
- Chemical Engineering182 colleges
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering130 colleges
Questions about Petroleum Engineering
How many colleges offer Petroleum Engineering?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Petroleum Engineering at these degree levels: certificate (3 colleges), bachelor's (25 colleges), master's (23 colleges), doctoral (15 colleges), graduate/professional certificate (9 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Petroleum Engineering graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Petroleum Engineering earn $102,499 a year four years after finishing, across 18 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Petroleum Engineering graduates earn the most?
University of Tulsa reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Petroleum Engineering: $145,353 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.