2026 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Undergraduate Certificate Degree Schools
Looking for the best-value Petroleum Engineering undergraduate certificate degree programs in the United States? This list ranks 32 institutions by value — the balance of cost and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology. Each school below is scored on factors such as tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the strongest return on investment.
So you can compare your options, 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 Undergraduate Certificate Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these high-value schools below:
Leading the list is University Of North Dakota, our #1 best-value Petroleum Engineering school in the United States. University Of North Dakota is a public school based in Grand Forks, ND. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,951, compared with $15,570 for out-of-state students. The median Petroleum Engineering program debt is $27,000. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $63,552. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Dakota has an acceptance rate of 77%. More on University Of North Dakota
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mississippi State University earned it the #2 place in the United States. Read more about Mississippi State University
You'll get strong value at Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana, which ranked #3 this year. Read more about Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana
A rank of #4 makes Texas Tech University one of the best values in the United States. Read the full report on Texas Tech University
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Tulsa earned it the #5 place in the United States. More on University Of Tulsa
Saint Francis University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read more about Saint Francis University
The University Of Alabama placed #7 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. Read the full report on The University Of Alabama
The University Of Texas At Austin landed the #8 spot for value in the United States this year. Read the full report on The University Of Texas At Austin
University Of Southern California landed the #9 spot for value in the United States this year. More on University Of Southern California
Colorado School Of Mines offered strong value this year, earning the #10 position. Read the full report on Colorado School Of Mines
Marietta College
Marietta College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. More on Marietta College
University Of Wyoming offered strong value this year, earning the #12 position. Read more about University Of Wyoming
University Of Utah ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read the full report on University Of Utah
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. More on Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus landed the #15 spot for value in the United States this year. See the full Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus profile
University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus offered strong value this year, earning the #16 position. Read the full report on University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus
University Of Kansas ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read more about University Of Kansas
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus came in at #18 in this year's value ranking. See the full University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus profile
Missouri University Of Science And Technology offered strong value this year, earning the #19 position. Read the full report on Missouri University Of Science And Technology
Stanford University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read more about Stanford University
University Of Houston came in at #21 in this year's value ranking. Read more about University Of Houston
Oklahoma State University Main Campus ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. More on Oklahoma State University Main Campus
Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania placed #23 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. More on Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read the full report on Pennsylvania State University Main Campus
Texas A And M University Kingsville ranked #25 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read more about Texas A And M University Kingsville
Rest of the Top 15% Best-Value Petroleum Engineering Undergraduate Certificate Degree Schools in the United States
These schools also delivered strong value this year:
Texas A And M International University placed #26 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. More on Texas A And M International University
West Virginia University landed the #27 spot for value in the United States this year. See the full West Virginia University profile
New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology placed #28 among the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools in the United States. Read more about New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology
The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin landed the #29 spot for value in the United States this year. See the full The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin profile
University Of Alaska Fairbanks ranked #30 on our 2026 list of the best-value Petroleum Engineering schools. Read the full report on University Of Alaska Fairbanks
Texas A And M University College Station landed the #31 spot for value in the United States this year. Read the full report on Texas A And M University College Station
University Of Louisiana Lafayette offered strong value this year, earning the #32 position. More on University Of Louisiana Lafayette
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 Associate’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Graduate Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Master’s Degree Schools
- Best Value Petroleum Engineering Doctoral Degree Schools
Ranking Methodology & Notes
These rankings are produced by Course Advisor (DMS_RANKING_2023), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs 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).
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