Petroleum Engineering Degree
18 schools compared · Average earnings $64,106/yr
Schools Offering
18
Avg Grad Earnings
$64,106/yr
Avg DegreeWorth Score
54/100
AI Automation Risk
High
54% task exposure
Best Schools for Petroleum Engineering
Top 18 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX |
72 66–75 |
$86,761/yr | High | 25.1x |
| 2 | Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX |
72 65–74 |
$80,460/yr | High | 23.5x |
| 3 | Montana Technological University Butte, MT |
71 64–73 |
$69,212/yr | High | 35.1x |
| 4 | University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND |
70 64–72 |
$73,821/yr | High | 20.9x |
| 5 | University of Wyoming Laramie, WY |
70 64–72 |
$66,221/yr | High | 38.2x |
| 6 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX |
69 61–72 |
$69,603/yr | High | 22.9x |
| 7 | West Virginia University Morgantown, WV |
69 63–71 |
$68,913/yr | High | 23.1x |
| 8 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK |
68 61–71 |
$61,223/yr | High | 25.3x |
| 9 | The University of Texas Permian Basin Odessa, TX |
67 60–70 |
$61,299/yr | High | 21.8x |
| 10 | Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO |
66 60–67 |
$69,670/yr | High | 15.1x |
| 11 | University of Houston Houston, TX |
65 57–68 |
$52,295/yr | High | 21.8x |
| 12 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA |
64 57–68 |
$56,605/yr | High | 18.6x |
| 13 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA |
64 55–68 |
$49,781/yr | High | 25.5x |
| 14 | Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO |
63 57–65 |
$77,400/yr | High | 11.5x |
| 15 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS |
58 48–64 |
$42,865/yr | High | 19.1x |
| 16 | Marietta College Marietta, OH |
57 51–58 |
$82,205/yr | High | 5.0x |
| 17 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM |
56 51–55 |
$42,325/yr | High | 10.7x |
| 18 | Texas A & M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX |
55 51–55 |
$43,257/yr | High | 9.9x |
Highest Earning Petroleum Engineering Programs
Schools where Petroleum Engineering graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas at Austin | $86,761/yr | 72 | High |
| Marietta College | $82,205/yr | 57 | High |
| Texas Tech University | $80,460/yr | 72 | High |
| Colorado School of Mines | $77,400/yr | 63 | High |
| University of North Dakota | $73,821/yr | 70 | High |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | $69,670/yr | 66 | High |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | $69,603/yr | 69 | High |
| Montana Technological University | $69,212/yr | 71 | High |
| West Virginia University | $68,913/yr | 69 | High |
| University of Wyoming | $66,221/yr | 70 | High |
Best ROI for Petroleum Engineering
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Petroleum Engineering.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wyoming | 38.2x | $66,221/yr | 70 |
| Montana Technological University | 35.1x | $69,212/yr | 71 |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 25.5x | $49,781/yr | 64 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 25.3x | $61,223/yr | 68 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | 25.1x | $86,761/yr | 72 |
| Texas Tech University | 23.5x | $80,460/yr | 72 |
| West Virginia University | 23.1x | $68,913/yr | 69 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | 22.9x | $69,603/yr | 69 |
| University of Houston | 21.8x | $52,295/yr | 65 |
| The University of Texas Permian Basin | 21.8x | $61,299/yr | 67 |
Related Majors
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Petroleum Engineering graduates earn?
Across 18 schools, Petroleum Engineering graduates earn an average of $64,106 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $42,325 to $86,761 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Petroleum Engineering?
Petroleum Engineering is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 54% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Petroleum Engineering program?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), The University of Texas at Austin ranks #1 for Petroleum Engineering with a score of 72/100 and graduate earnings of $86,761/yr.
Is a Petroleum Engineering degree worth it?
On average, Petroleum Engineering graduates earn 20.7x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
About This Data
This page aggregates Petroleum Engineering programs across 18 schools using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034), and AI automation risk research from OpenAI and academic institutions.
The DegreeWorth Score (0–100) combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and return on investment. Each school's program page includes three AI scenarios (optimistic, base case, pessimistic) showing how automation could affect 10-year earnings.
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.