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Refining engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a refining engineer. Refining engineers usually study chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or drafting and design. 88% of refining engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 6% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 19 real refining engineer resumes to see exactly what refining engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for refining engineers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online refining engineer courses to help get the education required to be a refining engineer.
What education do you need to become a refining engineer?
What degree do you need to be a refining engineer?
- Bachelor's, 88%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Master's, 6%
What should I major in to become a refining engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 56%
- Other Majors, 21%
Most common colleges for refining engineers
| Refining engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 16.67% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 8.33% |
| Illinois College | 8.33% |
| The University of Tennessee - Martin | 8.33% |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | 8.33% |
Best majors for refining engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Engineering | 55.6% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 11.1% |
| 3 | Drafting And Design | 5.6% |
| 4 | Industrial Engineering | 5.6% |
| 5 | Materials Science And Engineering | 5.6% |
Best colleges for refining engineers
The best colleges for refining engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
A refining 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 refining 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 refining engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for refining engineers
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7. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers
Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...
8. Petroleum Refining - Complete Guide to Products & Processes
Learn the most relevant Petroleum Refining Operations such as Crackers, Reformers, Alkylation for Oil & Gas...
9. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design
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10. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021
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11. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers
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15. Understanding Engineering Drawings
How Technical Information is Conveyed from Engineers and Designers to Manufacturing and Supply Chain Professionals...
16. Azure Synapse Analytics For Data Engineers -Hands On Project
Hands on Project for Data Engineers using all the services available in Azure Synapse Analytics [DP-203, DP-500]...
17. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course
Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...
18. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)
Learn about the diesel engine! Ideal for Automotive Engineering and Automobile Engineering!...
19. Automotive Engineering: Automobile Fundamentals and Advanced
Automotive & Vehicle Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Cars including Engine, Dynamics, Transmission, Chassis & More...
20. Manufacturing process selection and Design for manufacturing
Learn about the basics of selecting process for a mechanical design and the principles of design for Manufacturing...
Top 10 most affordable universities for refining engineers
The most affordable schools for refining engineers are University of Florida, city college of new york of the city university of new york, the, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for refining 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 refining engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for refining engineers
The hardest universities for refining engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for refining 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 refining 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for refining engineers
The easiest schools for refining engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and the university of texas at el paso.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a refining 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 refining engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
4. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
5. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
6. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
7. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
8. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
9. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
10. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
Average refining engineer salary by education level
| Refining engineer education level | Refining engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $123,684 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,746 |
Refining engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025