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Drilling engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a drilling engineer. Drilling engineers usually study petroleum engineering, mechanical engineering, or geology. 80% of drilling engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,440 real drilling engineer resumes to see exactly what drilling engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for drilling engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online drilling engineer courses to help get the education required to be a drilling engineer.
There are certain drilling engineer certifications that you should consider. These drilling engineer certifications include Petroleum Engineering Certification (PEC) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a drilling engineer?
What degree do you need to be a drilling engineer?
- Bachelor's, 80%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 3%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a drilling engineer?
- Geology, 6%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for drilling engineers
| Drilling engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 19.43% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 8.29% |
| University of Oklahoma | 8.00% |
| Texas Tech University | 7.71% |
| Colorado School of Mines | 7.14% |
Best majors for drilling engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Engineering | 43.5% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 18.9% |
| 3 | Geology | 5.6% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 4.9% |
| 5 | Engineering | 4.4% |
Best colleges for drilling engineers
The best colleges for drilling engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.
A drilling engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for drilling engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become drilling engineers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for drilling engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for drilling engineers
The most affordable schools for drilling engineers are New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, brigham young university, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for drilling engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for drilling engineers.
1. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for drilling engineers
The hardest universities for drilling engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for drilling engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for drilling engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for drilling engineers
The easiest schools for drilling engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a drilling engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for drilling engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
4. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
7. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
8. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
9. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
10. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
Average drilling engineer salary by education level
| Drilling engineer education level | Drilling engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $114,789 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $98,945 |
| Doctorate Degree | $130,467 |
Drilling engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025