# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/petroleum-engineering
- CIP code: 14.25 (Engineering)
- Colleges offering it: 25 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/engineering

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 3 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 25 | $91,045 | $102,499 | $21,452 |
| Master's | 23 | $127,412 | $192,907 | not reported |
| Doctoral | 15 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 9 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Tulsa](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-tulsa-3068) | Tulsa, OK | $145,353 | not reported |
| [The University of Texas at Austin](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-at-austin-main-campus-2764) | Austin, TX | $139,867 | $17,738 |
| [Texas Tech University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-tech-university-2710) | Lubbock, TX | $139,864 | $14,711 |
| [University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus-main-campus-3007) | Norman, OK | $123,416 | not reported |
| [Colorado School of Mines](https://www.collegesref.com/college/colorado-school-of-mines-642) | Golden, CO | $116,691 | $21,452 |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | College Station, TX | $114,686 | $16,500 |
| [Montana Technological University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/montana-technological-university-1758) | Butte, MT | $106,076 | not reported |
| [Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college-lsu-1541) | Baton Rouge, LA | $103,421 | $27,000 |
| [University of Louisiana at Lafayette](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-louisiana-at-lafayette-main-campus-2934) | Lafayette, LA | $102,594 | not reported |
| [Missouri University of Science and Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology-1739) | Rolla, MO | $102,405 | not reported |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Architectural and Engineering Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biofuels-biodiesel-technology-and-product-development-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Petroleum Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/petroleum-engineers): $144,910 median pay
- [Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineering-teachers-postsecondary): $109,270 median pay

## More in Engineering

- [Engineering, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/engineering-general): 452 colleges
- [Mechanical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/mechanical-engineering): 395 colleges
- [Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/electrical-electronics-and-communications-engineering): 387 colleges
- [Computer Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/computer-engineering): 367 colleges
- [Civil Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/civil-engineering): 300 colleges
- [Biomedical/Medical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/biomedical-medical-engineering): 200 colleges
- [Chemical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/chemical-engineering): 182 colleges
- [Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/environmental-environmental-health-engineering): 130 colleges

## Guides on this field

- [How to Compare Colleges by Major: Engineering, STEM, Pre-Med, and Business](https://www.collegesref.com/blog/how-to-compare-colleges-by-major)

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/