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Best Schools for Petroleum Engineering in 2026

18 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Petroleum Engineering, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Petroleum Engineering graduate earns $64,106/yr across 18 schools.

Programs Ranked
18
Avg Earnings
$64,106/yr
Avg DW Score
66/100
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure

All Petroleum Engineering Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public 		74
71–76 		$86,761/yr 25.1x
2 Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX · Public 		73
71–75 		$80,460/yr 23.5x
3 Montana Technological University
Butte, MT · Public 		72
70–73 		$69,212/yr 35.1x
4 University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND · Public 		71
69–72 		$73,821/yr 20.9x
5 Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public 		71
69–72 		$69,603/yr 22.9x
6 University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY · Public 		71
70–73 		$66,221/yr 38.2x
7 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public 		70
68–71 		$61,223/yr 25.3x
8 West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV · Public 		70
68–71 		$68,913/yr 23.1x
9 The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX · Public 		69
67–70 		$61,299/yr 21.8x
10 Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO · Public 		67
64–68 		$77,400/yr 11.5x
11 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public 		67
65–68 		$56,605/yr 18.6x
12 University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA · Public 		67
65–68 		$49,781/yr 25.5x
13 Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO · Public 		67
65–68 		$69,670/yr 15.1x
14 University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public 		66
64–67 		$52,295/yr 21.8x
15 Marietta College
Marietta, OH · Private nonprofit 		60
58–62 		$82,205/yr 5.0x
16 University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS · Public 		59
61–60 		$42,865/yr 19.1x
17 Texas A & M University-Kingsville
Kingsville, TX · Public 		43
44–44 		$43,257/yr 9.9x
18 New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM · Public 		42
44–43 		$42,325/yr 10.7x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Petroleum Engineering?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, The University of Texas at Austin ranks #1 for Petroleum Engineering with a score of 74/100 and graduate earnings of $86,761/yr.
How much do Petroleum Engineering graduates earn?
Across 18 schools, Petroleum Engineering graduates earn an average of $64,106/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $86,761/yr.
Is Petroleum Engineering a good major for AI resistance?
Petroleum Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 54%, rated "High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.