2023 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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 Value Petroleum Engineering Schools ranking. This report analyzed 25 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for petroleum engineering students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Petroleum Engineering Schools
Our analysis found University of North Dakota to be the best value school for petroleum engineering students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. UND is a large public school located in the small city of Grand Forks.
UND undergraduate students pay an average of $15,037 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, petroleum engineering majors at UND accumulate an average of around $27,119 in student debt.
UND also claimed a spot on our Best Petroleum Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Request Information
The excellent programs at Montana Technological University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best petroleum engineering schools in the United States. Located in the remote town of Butte, Montana Tech is a public school with a small student population.
Montana Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $22,509 in tuition and fees each year. Petroleum Engineering majors at Montana Tech take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Montana Tech also is in the top 20% of our Best Petroleum Engineering Schools ranking.
Request Information
The excellent programs at Texas Tech University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best petroleum engineering schools in the United States. Texas Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Texas Tech are $24,121 a year. After completing their degree, petroleum engineering graduates from Texas Tech carry an average student debtload of $26,000.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Texas Tech also did well on our Best Petroleum Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech University Report
Request Information
The excellent programs at The University of Texas at Austin helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best petroleum engineering schools in the United States. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Austin are $40,996 per year. 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.
UT Austin also claimed a spot on our Best Petroleum Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools list. UT Permian Basin is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Odessa.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UT Permian Basin are $21,474 a year.
Full Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Report
Request Information
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value petroleum engineering programs. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Texas A&M College Station are $38,855 a year. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Texas A&M College Station also is in the top 5% of our Best Petroleum Engineering Schools ranking.
Read full report on Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station
Request Information
University of Wyoming came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools ranking. Located in the town of Laramie, UW is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW are $16,957 per year. Petroleum Engineering majors at UW take out an average of $27,329 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request Information
With a ranking of #8, Colorado School of Mines did quite well on this year’s best value schools for petroleum engineering students. Mines is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Golden.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mines are $40,838 per year. 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.
Mines also claimed a spot on our Best Petroleum Engineering Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Request Information
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools list. OSU is a very large public school located in the distant town of Stillwater.
OSU undergraduate students pay an average of $24,764 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, OSU is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Petroleum Engineering Schools list.
Full Petroleum Engineering at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Report
Request Information
University of Tulsa came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools ranking. University of Tulsa is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Tulsa.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at University of Tulsa are $45,138 a year. While working on their degree, petroleum engineering majors at University of Tulsa accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Request InformationPetroleum Engineering by Region
View the Best Value 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
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.
- 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.