2023 Best Petroleum Engineering Schools
Finding the Best Petroleum Engineering School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,256 people earned a degree or certificate in petroleum engineering, making the major the #227 most popular in the United States.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Petroleum Engineering Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Petroleum Engineering Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for petroleum engineering majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Petroleum Engineering Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Colorado School of Mines the best school in the United States for petroleum engineering students. Mines is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Golden.
On average, petroleum engineering graduates from Mines take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $505, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
Out of the 25 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the # 2 spot on the list. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin.
While working on their degree, petroleum engineering majors at UT Austin accumulate an average of around $15,709 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $242.
Full Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Petroleum Engineering Schools list. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Petroleum Engineering at Stanford University
Request Information
Out of the 25 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, petroleum engineering graduates from Texas A&M College Station take out $20,099 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $385, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station Report
Request Information
Out of the 25 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Full Petroleum Engineering at University of Southern California Report
Request Information
Montana Technological University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for petroleum engineering students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the remote town of Butte, Montana Tech is a public school with a small student population.
Petroleum Engineering majors at Montana Tech take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Petroleum Engineering at Montana Technological University
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, University of Tulsa did quite well on this year’s best schools for petroleum engineering students. University of Tulsa is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Tulsa.
While working on their degree, petroleum engineering majors at University of Tulsa accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Read full report on Petroleum Engineering at University of Tulsa
Request Information
Texas Tech University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best petroleum engineering programs. Texas Tech is a very large public school located in the large city of Lubbock.
After completing their degree, petroleum engineering graduates from Texas Tech carry an average student debtload of $26,000.
Request Information
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best petroleum engineering programs. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Odessa.
Full Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Report
Request Information
University of North Dakota came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Petroleum Engineering Schools ranking. UND is a large public school located in the small city of Grand Forks.
While working on their degree, petroleum engineering majors at UND accumulate an average of around $27,119 in student debt.
Request InformationPetroleum Engineering by Region
View the Best Petroleum Engineering Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Petroleum Engineering Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum Engineering is one of 40 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Petroleum Engineering
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 46,178 |
| Electrical Engineering | 28,844 |
| Civil Engineering | 21,388 |
| Computer Engineering | 17,987 |
| Chemical Engineering | 12,917 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© 2025 Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.