Petroleum production engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a petroleum production engineer. Petroleum production engineers usually study petroleum engineering, geology, or engineering. 70% of petroleum production engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 35 real petroleum production engineer resumes to see exactly what petroleum production engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for petroleum production engineers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

There are also many online petroleum production engineer courses to help get the education required to be a petroleum production engineer.

What education do you need to become a petroleum production engineer?

What degree do you need to be a petroleum production engineer?

The most common degree for petroleum production engineers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of petroleum production engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Master's, 17%

High School Diploma, 4%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a petroleum production engineer?

You should major in petroleum engineering to become a petroleum production engineer. 68% of petroleum production engineers major in petroleum engineering. Other common majors for a petroleum production engineer include geology and engineering.

Petroleum Engineering, 68%

Geology, 8%

Engineering, 8%

Mechanical Engineering, 4%

Other Majors, 12%

Most common colleges for petroleum production engineers

Petroleum production engineers often get their degrees at University of Houston, University of Texas at Austin, and University of South Carolina - Columbia. Here are the most common colleges for petroleum production engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Petroleum production engineer common college	Percentages
University of Houston	13.33%
University of Texas at Austin	6.67%
University of South Carolina - Columbia	6.67%
University of Tulsa	6.67%
Spokane Community College	6.67%

Show more common petroleum production engineer colleges

Best majors for petroleum production engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Petroleum Engineering	68.0%
2	Geology	8.0%
3	Engineering	8.0%
4	Mechanical Engineering	4.0%
5	Business	4.0%

Show more common petroleum production engineer majors

Best colleges for petroleum production engineers

The best colleges for petroleum production engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A petroleum production 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 production 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 production 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 production engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for petroleum production engineers

The most affordable schools for petroleum production engineers are New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, brigham young university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for petroleum production 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 production 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 production engineers

The hardest universities for petroleum production engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for petroleum production 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 production 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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

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

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 production engineers

The easiest schools for petroleum production 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 production 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 production 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 production engineer salary by education level

Petroleum production engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $118,713 annually. With a Master's degree, petroleum production engineers earn a median annual income of $107,899 compared to $96,581 for petroleum production engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Petroleum production engineer education level	Petroleum production engineer salary
Master's Degree	$107,899
Bachelor's Degree	$96,581
Doctorate Degree	$118,713

Petroleum production engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Petroleum Production Engineers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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