Petroleum Engineering: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Petroleum Engineering graduates earn a median $104,823 four years after finishing — $56,463/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.2 years. Federal data pools 23 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 710 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Petroleum Engineering ranks #7 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 97% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Tulsa | OK | $145,353 |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $139,867 |
| 3 | Texas Tech University | TX | $139,864 |
| 4 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $123,416 |
| 5 | Colorado School of Mines | CO | $116,691 |
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $114,686 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $113,669 |
| 8 | Montana Technological University | MT | $106,076 |
| 9 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | $103,421 |
| 10 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | LA | $102,594 |
| 11 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | MO | $102,405 |
| 12 | University of Wyoming | WY | $100,911 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.