16 Best Colleges for Petroleum Engineering – 2024

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 150 majors, including those at the Cockrell School of Engineering, one of the most heralded undergraduate engineering schools around, and The McCombs School of Business, which dominates in the specialty areas of accounting and marketing. The computer science department is also top-ranked. In terms of degrees conferred, engineering is tied with biology (12%) followed by communication (11%), business (11%), and the social sciences (8%). The elite Plan II Honors Program is one of the best in the country.

Professional Outcomes: Within the College of Liberal Arts, six months after graduating, 68% of Longhorns are employed and 24% have entered graduate school. The for-profit sector attracts 65% of those employed while 19% enter public sector employment and 16% pursue jobs at a nonprofit. Major corporations that employ more than 500 UT Austin grads include Google, Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. Engineering majors took home a median income of $79k and business majors took home $70k.

Academic Highlights: There are around 20 bachelor of science degree options to choose from as well as additional areas of specialization. Classes are rarely small as Mines possesses a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. The average class has 34 students, and only 27% of sections have an enrollment under twenty. The largest number of degrees are conferred in mechanical engineering and petroleum engineering. In fact, 78% of all earned degrees are classified under the engineering umbrella.

Professional Outcomes: Members of the Class of 2022 landed industry jobs or full-time graduate school positions at a clip of 93%. Companies employing massive numbers of Mines’ grads include Lockheed Martin, BP, ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Chevron, and Shell. Those finding employment enjoyed an average starting salary of $81,000. Nineteen percent of freshly printed diploma-holders directly enter graduate school, and the most popular institution is Mines itself, which is the choice of 82% of those pursuing advanced degrees.

Academic Highlights: With nineteen schools and colleges and 130+ undergraduate degree programs, Texas A&M is a massive operation. As the name implies, there is a heavy emphasis on agriculture, engineering, and business, which all place well in national rankings and garner deep respect from major corporations and graduate/professional schools. Class sizes trend large, but 24% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students and personal connections with professors are entirely possible, particularly through the research-oriented LAUNCH program.

Professional Outcomes: On graduation day, 54% of students had already received at least one job offer and 22% were heading to graduate/professional school. Many Aggies go on to work at major oil, tech, and consulting firms; more than 500 are employed at each of ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Chevron, EY, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, and PWC. Starting salaries were strong—on average, College of Engineering grads made $80k and College of Agriculture & Life Sciences grads netted $54k. A&M is also the eighth-largest producer of law students in the entire country.

Academic Highlights: Penn State offers 275 majors and a number of top-ranked programs in a host of disciplines. The College of Engineering is rated exceptionally well on a national scale and is also the most popular field of study, accounting for 15% of the degrees conferred. The Smeal College of Business is equally well-regarded, earning high rankings in everything from supply chain management to accounting to marketing. It attracts 15% of total degree-seekers. 61% of classes have an enrollment below thirty students.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation, 70% of Nittany Lions have found their next employment or graduate school home. 98% of College of Business grads are successful within three months of exiting, flocking in large numbers to stellar finance, accounting, consulting, and technology firms. Hundreds of alumni work at Citi, Salesforce, and Meta, and more than 500 currently work at each of IBM, Deloitte, PwC, Amazon, EY, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle. 75% of 2022 grads employed full-time earned starting salaries greater than $50k.

Academic Highlights: In total, OU offers 170 academic programs, 80 of which are housed within the OU Health Sciences Center. With a very reasonable student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1, the University of Oklahoma is able to run 47% of its course sections with an enrollment of 19 or less. Business (26%) is by far the most commonly conferred degree, followed by engineering (13%), agriculture (9%), biology (8%), and psychology (5%).

Professional Outcomes: The top hiring employers in 2022 were Paycom, Deloitte, KPMG, Dell, AT&T, Boeing, Amazon, and Norman Public Schools. These connections are enhanced by the fact that 38% of recent grads reported completing an experiential learning opportunity during their undergraduate years. Large numbers of alumni are now pursuing an advanced degree at SMU, NYU, Oklahoma State, the University of Tulsa, and the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Academic Highlights: Nearly 100 undergraduate majors are offered across 11 different colleges. Programs within the College of Business and College of Engineering are particularly strong, especially petroleum engineering, entrepreneurship, and marketing. The most degrees are conferred in business/management/marketing (28%), psychology (7%), computer science (7%), engineering (7%), biological sciences (7%), and social sciences (6%). 34% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students, and

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 29% of recent grads had already accepted a full-time position and 11% had been accepted to graduate school. For those who entered the workforce, top employers were Houston ISD (as well as several other school systems), JPMorgan Chase, Houston Methodist, and Walgreens. Of those continuing their education, the highest percentage stayed at the University of Houston followed by the University of Texas, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M, Texas Woman’s University, and Rice.

Academic Highlights: Students from all 50 states and 90 nations flock to Morgantown to study one of 310 majors offered in WVU’s 13 colleges and schools. The school has a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio and, impressively, is able to keep enrollment in 45% of class sections at 19 students or fewer; 15% contain 50 or more students. Students are spread evenly across many of the most popular majors including nursing (6%), sports kinesiology (5%), general studies (4), mechanical engineering (4%), Exercise science, criminology (3%), journalism (3%), and finance (3%).

Professional Outcomes: Between 40 and 250 West Virginia University alumni work for the following companies: Amazon, Deloitte, Aramco, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Eaton, ADP, Google, PepsiCo, Oracle, Salesforce, and Insight Global. Many alumni remain in the state of West Virginia after graduation, but sizable numbers also migrate to Washington DC, Pittsburgh, New York City, and Baltimore.

Academic Highlights: Marietta offers more than 50 undergrad majors, including those in the highly regarded Petroleum Engineering and Geology Department and nationally recognized McDonough Center for Leadership & Business. Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in petroleum engineering (13%), marketing (9%), political science (7%), psychology (6%), biology (4%), and finance (4%). The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1; 87% of classes have fewer than 20 students. Prior to graduation, all students complete and present a senior capstone project.

Professional Outcomes: On average, within six months of graduating, 90% of students are employed, in graduate school, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment. That number was even higher in 2023: 98%. In particular, petroleum engineering grads are regularly recruited by top energy companies, and those graduating from the Education Department often have 100% placement rates. Across all majors and graduating years, top employers include Marietta College, Chevron, Cleveland Clinic, and People’s Bank. The mid-career salary is $86,800.

Academic Highlights: 112 degrees are offered across five colleges, including the highly regarded College of Engineering & Computer Science. The school is renowned for its petroleum engineering and cybersecurity programs. Overall, the most popular majors are mechanical engineering, computer science, biology, nursing, exercise & sport science, psychology, finance, and business management. 64% of classes have less than 20 students, and students have the opportunity to get involved in research beginning in their freshman year.

Professional Outcomes: 97% of the Class of 2022 experienced positive outcomes, with 70% employed, 25% attending graduate school, and 2% taking time off. Top employers included The University of Tulsa, Paycom, Saint Francis Health System, Ascension St. John, and Williams. Across all majors, the average starting salary was $67k. For those headed to grad school, the list of most popular universities included the University of Tulsa, the University of Oklahoma, OU Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Texas.

Academic Highlights: Montana Tech offers a very reasonable 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 63% of course sections enroll no more than 19 students while just 5% enroll 50 or more individuals. The school has 39 undergraduate degrees and 15 minors on the menu. The most commonly conferred degrees are in mechanical engineering (5%), nursing (15%), MIS (14%), civil engineering (9%), occupational health (7%), and petroleum engineering (7%).

Professional Outcomes: The median starting salary for a recent grad of Montana Tech is $60,000 and the greatest number of graduates find themselves employed by the likes of Chevron, NorthWestern Energy, Aramco, Pioneer Technical Services, the Montana Department of Transportation, Nevada Gold Mines, Town Pump Company, Kiewit, and Montana Resources. The most common geographic regions in which to find alumni are Montana, Washington, Texas, Colorado, and Canada.

Academic Highlights: Undergrads can take advantage of 240+ majors, minors, and concentrations across eight colleges, including notable programs in nursing, the sciences, engineering, the humanities, and architecture. Overall, the most degrees are conferred in health professions (19%), business/management/marketing (14%), liberal arts (12%), education (9%), and engineering (8%). 42% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students, and the Honors Program is one of the oldest and largest in the state.

Professional Outcomes: According to the most recent senior exit survey, 84% of grads had positive outcomes, with 72% employed and 12% continuing their education. Over the past five years, the most alumni have entered the operations, education, engineering, and healthcare services sectors; top employers include UL Lafayette, CGI, Ochsner Health, Stuller, Inc., Ochsner Lafayette General, LHC Group, and Lafayette Parish School System. Of those pursuing an advanced degree, 47% elected to do so at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Academic Highlights: Through its nine schools/colleges, the University of Wyoming offers nearly 150 undergraduate majors as well as a number of interdisciplinary programs. It’s known for its offerings in environment/natural resources, Earth and energy science, and engineering (particularly petroleum engineering). Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in nursing (7%), psychology (6%), elementary education (5%), exercise science (4%), criminal justice (4%), and mechanical engineering (3%). Nearly 45% of classes enroll less than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Of those who graduated between 2019 and 2022, 71% had positive outcomes with 52% employed, 17% continuing their education, and 2% entering the military or volunteering. Across all majors, the average salary was $54k, with computer engineering and petroleum engineering pulling in the highest numbers at $89k and $82k, respectively. Healthcare, K-12 education, and higher education were the most popular sectors, with local school districts and hospitals as the top employers. Of those who pursued an advanced degree, most elected to do so right at the University of Wyoming.

Academic Highlights: In total, the University of North Dakota offers nearly 150 undergraduate majors and certificate programs across six schools: Aerospace, Arts & Sciences, Business & Public Administration, Education & Human Development, Engineering & Mines, and Nursing. Programs in engineering, health professions, aviation, space, and unmanned aircraft systems are particularly strong. Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in engineering (16%), business (16%), and health professions (15%). Over 40% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: 93% of the Class of 2022 experienced positive postgraduate outcomes, with 72% employed and 21% continuing their education. Across all majors, and the average median salary was $54k. Top employers included Sanford Health, North Dakota State University, Essentia Health, Doosan Bobcat, Fargo Public Schools, John Deere, Scheels, West Fargo Public Schools, and Aldevron. For those who chose to attend graduate or professional school, most stayed in North Dakota at institutions that included North Dakota State University, University of North Dakota, and University of Mary.

Academic Highlights: The University of Kansas is comprised of 14 academic schools that offer over 190 undergraduate majors. Its programs in nursing, psychology, business, and engineering are particularly strong. Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in psychology (7%), journalism (5%), finance (5%), nursing (5%), marketing (4%), and accounting (4%). 49% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. As a top research institution, there are an incredible number of research opportunities for undergraduates across all majors.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 54% of alumni were employed full-time while 35% were continuing their education. For those employed, the average salary was $55k; top employers included University of Kansas, University of Kansas Medical Center, Shawnee Mission School District, Kansas City Public Schools, Burns & McDonnell, and Kiewit. For those pursuing graduate or professional degrees, the most popular area of study was accounting followed by pharmacy and law; the top institution attended was the University of Kansas itself.

Academic Highlights: Texas Tech has 1,900 faculty members across 10 colleges and 150 academic programs. With a fairly high 21:1 student-to-faculty ratio just 33% of course sections enroll fewer than 20 students. Business/marketing (20%) is by far the most popular major, followed by biology (10%), engineering (10%), journalism (10%), and family & consumer sciences (9%). Petroleum engineering gets the most acclaim, but the business, CS, and psychology departments are also very solid.

Professional Outcomes: The most popular industries entered by Texas Tech include utilities ($96k median starting salary), petroleum engineering ($97k), manufacturing ($64k), finance and insurance ($49k), and transportation and warehousing ($57k). The companies employing the most Red Raider alumni are Dell Technologies, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Microsoft, Oxy, ConocoPhillips, Kimley-Horn, and Pioneer Natural Resources Company.

Academic Highlights: Over 100 undergraduate programs are offered across three different schools: the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, the College of Engineering and Computing, and Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development. Undergraduate research is highly encouraged; some departments, like Biological Sciences, see 80% of students participate. Nearly 48% of classes enroll less than 20 students. By sheer popularity, the most degrees are conferred in engineering (66%) followed by computer science (13%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 96% of the Class of 2023 were onto their next opportunity, with 79% employed, 15% continuing their education, and 1% in the military. Of those employed, the most were hired by Boeing followed by Burns & McDonnell, the Missouri Department of Transportation, Garmin, Black & Veatch, Epic, and AT&T. The median starting salary was highest in the state at $74k; the highest reported starting salary was $150k.