2026 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Graduate Certificate Degree Schools
Looking for the best-value Petroleum Engineering graduate certificate degree programs in the United States? We have ranked 32 schools by value — the balance of cost and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology. The rankings below weigh factors such as tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the strongest return on investment.
To help you make your decision, Course Advisor analyzed schools to compile this 2026 value ranking, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). View our full ranking methodology.
Top 25 Best-Value Petroleum Engineering Graduate Certificate Degree Schools in the United States
Explore the best-value schools below:
For return on investment, no school beat University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus this year in the United States. Set in Norman, OK, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,797, with out-of-state students paying around $27,377. Graduates carry a median of $24,625 in student loans. University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus alumni report median earnings of $63,126 a decade after entry. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. About 77% of those who apply are admitted. Read more about University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Missouri University Of Science And Technology came in at #2 on this year's best-value Petroleum Engineering ranking in the United States. Set in Rolla, MO, Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,984, with out-of-state students paying around $33,248. Missouri University Of Science And Technology Petroleum Engineering students take on a median of $28,950 in debt. Missouri University Of Science And Technology alumni report median earnings of $82,957 a decade after entry. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. About 72% of those who apply are admitted. See the full Missouri University Of Science And Technology profile
University Of Kansas came in at #3 on this year's best-value Petroleum Engineering ranking in the United States. University Of Kansas is a public school based in Lawrence, KS. Students from in state pay about $12,102 in tuition and fees, compared with $30,432 for out-of-state students. The median Petroleum Engineering program debt is $25,000. University Of Kansas alumni report median earnings of $61,945 a decade after entry. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Kansas has an acceptance rate of 94%. Read more about University Of Kansas
Out of the 32 schools in the United States in this year's value ranking, Texas A And M University Kingsville landed the #4 spot. See the full Texas A And M University Kingsville profile
Mississippi State University came in at #5 on this year's best-value Petroleum Engineering ranking in the United States. Read the full report on Mississippi State University
Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania offered strong value this year, earning the #6 position. Get the full Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania report
University Of Utah offered strong value this year, earning the #7 position. Read more about University Of Utah
New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology landed the #8 spot for value in the United States this year. See the full New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology profile
University Of North Dakota placed #9 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. Read more about University Of North Dakota
University Of Houston came in at #10 in this year's value ranking. Read more about University Of Houston
The University Of Alabama offered strong value this year, earning the #11 position. See the full The University Of Alabama profile
University Of Wyoming offered strong value this year, earning the #12 position. Read the full report on University Of Wyoming
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College landed the #13 spot for value in the United States this year. Read more about Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College
University Of Southern California ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. More on University Of Southern California
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus offered strong value this year, earning the #15 position. More on Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus
University Of Tulsa placed #16 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. More on University Of Tulsa
Saint Francis University placed #17 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. Read more about Saint Francis University
The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin offered strong value this year, earning the #18 position. Read the full report on The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus came in at #19 in this year's value ranking. Get the full University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus report
Texas A And M University College Station landed the #20 spot for value in the United States this year. Read more about Texas A And M University College Station
Colorado School Of Mines offered strong value this year, earning the #21 position. Get the full Colorado School Of Mines report
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus placed #22 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. Read the full report on Pennsylvania State University Main Campus
Texas A And M International University offered strong value this year, earning the #23 position. Get the full Texas A And M International University report
West Virginia University ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Get the full West Virginia University report
Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana offered strong value this year, earning the #25 position. More on Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana
Rest of the Top 15% Best-Value Petroleum Engineering Graduate Certificate Degree Schools in the United States
These schools also delivered strong value this year:
University Of Alaska Fairbanks came in at #26 in this year's value ranking. Read the full report on University Of Alaska Fairbanks
Marietta College
Marietta College came in at #27 in this year's value ranking. Read the full report on Marietta College
Stanford University ranked #28 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read the full report on Stanford University
Texas Tech University came in at #29 in this year's value ranking. Get the full Texas Tech University report
Oklahoma State University Main Campus ranked #30 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Get the full Oklahoma State University Main Campus report
The University Of Texas At Austin ranked #31 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read more about The University Of Texas At Austin
University Of Louisiana Lafayette offered strong value this year, earning the #32 position. Get the full University Of Louisiana Lafayette report
Related Petroleum Engineering Value Rankings
Compare value rankings at other degree levels:
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools (All Levels)
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Undergraduate Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Associate’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Master’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Doctoral Degree Schools
Ranking Methodology & Notes
The ranking above is published by Course Advisor (DMS_RANKING_2023), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment — drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · Scope: Nation. *Averages shown above reflect the top 32 ranked schools only.
References
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (core institutional data).
- College Scorecard — U.S. Department of Education (graduate earnings and outcomes data).