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Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX · Public · Bachelor's Degree
67 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
70
Optimistic
67
Base Case
60
Pessimistic
Earnings $61,299/yr (-4% vs median)
AI Risk High (48% exposed)
Job Market Medium (19,800 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Petroleum Engineering graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $1,119K $726K $457K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 25.7x 16.7x 10.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 12.0x 7.8x 4.9x
Viable Career Paths 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3
DegreeWorth Score 70 67 60

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$43,616
Out-of-state: $92,848
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$99,276
62% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Petroleum Engineering graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 19,800 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Petroleum engineers $141,280 1,200 +1.3% 53%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%

Compare & Explore

Petroleum Engineering at Other Schools

The University of Texas at Austin ($86,761) Marietta College ($82,205) Texas Tech University ($80,460) Colorado School of Mines ($77,400) University of North Dakota ($73,821) Missouri University of Science and Technology ($69,670) Texas A & M University-College Station ($69,603) Montana Technological University ($69,212)

Other Majors at The University of Texas Permian Basin

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($71,681) Mechanical Engineering ($65,167) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($51,109) Communication and Media Studies ($46,203) Psychology, General ($46,009)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas Permian Basin?
This program scores 67/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 70 (optimistic) to 60 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Petroleum Engineering career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Petroleum Engineering graduates retain 3 of 3 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $456,726 (pessimistic) to $1,118,754 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Petroleum Engineering graduates?
The career paths mapped to Petroleum Engineering have roughly 19,800 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas Permian Basin worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 16.7x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 10.5x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
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. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.