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Petroleum engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a petroleum engineer. Petroleum engineers usually study petroleum engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering. 78% of petroleum engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 908 real petroleum engineer resumes to see exactly what petroleum engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for petroleum engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online petroleum engineer courses to help get the education required to be a petroleum engineer.
There are certain petroleum engineer certifications that you should consider. These petroleum engineer certifications include Petroleum Engineering Certification (PEC) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a petroleum engineer?
What degree do you need to be a petroleum engineer?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 2%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a petroleum engineer?
- Engineering, 5%
- Other Majors, 18%
Most common colleges for petroleum engineers
| Petroleum engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 13.91% |
| Colorado School of Mines | 12.41% |
| Texas Tech University | 8.27% |
| University of Oklahoma | 6.39% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 6.39% |
Best majors for petroleum engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Engineering | 60.6% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.3% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 8.0% |
| 4 | Engineering | 4.5% |
| 5 | Geology | 2.6% |
Best colleges for petroleum engineers
The best colleges for petroleum engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A petroleum 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 petroleum 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 petroleum engineers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$18,964
Enrollment
4,906
5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Enrollment
1,333
6. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
7. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
8. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Enrollment
23,396
20 best online courses for petroleum engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for petroleum engineers
The most affordable schools for petroleum engineers are New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, brigham young university, and florida international university.
If the best universities for petroleum 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 petroleum 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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for petroleum engineers
The hardest universities for petroleum engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for petroleum 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 petroleum 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
7. Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,383
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for petroleum engineers
The easiest schools for petroleum 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 petroleum 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 petroleum 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. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
5. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
6. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
7. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
10. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
Average petroleum engineer salary by education level
| Petroleum engineer education level | Petroleum engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $112,295 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,349 |
| Doctorate Degree | $127,007 |
Petroleum engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025