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Rig site engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a rig site engineer. Rig site engineers usually study mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or petroleum engineering. 59% of rig site engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 42 real rig site engineer resumes to see exactly what rig site engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for rig site engineers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online rig site engineer courses to help get the education required to be a rig site engineer.
What education do you need to become a rig site engineer?
What degree do you need to be a rig site engineer?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 14%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a rig site engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 12%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for rig site engineers
| Rig site engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 14.29% |
| Texas A&M University | 14.29% |
| Colorado School of Mines | 14.29% |
| University of Akron | 7.14% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 7.14% |
Best majors for rig site engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 11.5% |
| 2 | Chemical Engineering | 11.5% |
| 3 | Petroleum Engineering | 11.5% |
| 4 | Civil Engineering | 7.7% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 7.7% |
Best colleges for rig site engineers
The best colleges for rig site engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A rig site 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 rig site 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 rig site engineers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for rig site engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for rig site engineers
The most affordable schools for rig site engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for rig site 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 rig site engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. 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
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for rig site engineers
The hardest universities for rig site engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for rig site 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 rig site 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. 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rig site engineers
The easiest schools for rig site engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas permian basin, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a rig site 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 rig site engineers.
1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
10. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
Average rig site engineer salary by education level
| Rig site engineer education level | Rig site engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,469 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,127 |
| Doctorate Degree | $106,587 |
Rig site 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