Petroleum Engineering major
Petroleum Engineering: courses, careers, and where to study
Petroleum engineering applies math, geology, and fluid mechanics to find and extract oil and gas, suiting students who want hands-on work where earth science meets engineering design.
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Petroleum Engineering earn a median $104,823 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $80,747 to $146,680 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
Petroleum engineering is the study of how to locate, drill for, and bring crude oil and natural gas out of the ground safely and efficiently. Students learn to read the behavior of fluids trapped in underground rock, design wells that reach those reservoirs, and plan the equipment and systems used to extract, transport, and process what comes up to the surface. Coursework blends earth science with mechanical and chemical engineering: you study rock and fluid properties, the physics of flow through porous formations, drilling and well-completion methods, and the safety and environmental controls that govern energy operations. Unlike geology, which centers on understanding the earth itself, petroleum engineering focuses on the practical design and operation of recovery systems; and unlike chemical engineering, which spans many process industries, it concentrates specifically on subsurface hydrocarbon resources from reservoir to surface facility.
The standard entry credential is a bachelor's degree, and programs lean heavily on quantitative engineering science, laboratory work in rock and fluid testing, reservoir and drilling simulation software, and a senior design project that ties the coursework into a realistic field or well plan. Some employers and roles value professional engineering licensure earned through state boards, and certain programs carry programmatic engineering accreditation; prospective students should verify licensure expectations and a program's accreditation status directly before enrolling. Graduates work for energy producers, oilfield service firms, drilling and completions contractors, consulting and analysis groups, and government or regulatory agencies, often splitting time between office modeling work and on-site or field operations, with roles such as reservoir, drilling, production, and completions engineer.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of petroleum engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $141,280 and projects employment to grow about 1.3% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Petroleum Engineering maps to CIP 14.2501, Petroleum Engineering, within the ENGINEERING family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for locating, extracting, processing and refining crude petroleum and natural gas, including prospecting instruments and equipment, mining and drilling systems, processing and refining systems and facilities, storage facilities, transportation systems, and related environmental and safety systems.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Petroleum Engineering is awarded as
Of the 739 Petroleum Engineering credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: 4%, 26 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 56%, 416 credentials.
- Graduate: 40%, 297 credentials.
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Reservoir engineering and fluid-flow through porous media
- Drilling engineering and well-completion design
- Petroleum geology and formation evaluation
- Rock and fluid properties (petrophysics and PVT analysis)
- Production engineering and artificial-lift methods
- Reservoir and well simulation software
- Well logging, testing, and data interpretation
- Health, safety, and environmental controls for energy operations
- Senior capstone design of a field or well-development plan
Typical careers
- Petroleum Engineer
- Drilling Engineer
- Reservoir Engineer
- Production Engineer
- Completions Engineer
- Energy Analyst
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 petroleum engineers median $141,280).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Petroleum Engineering graduates earn?
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Petroleum Engineering earn a median $104,823 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $80,747 to $146,680 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $104,823 | $80,747 to $146,680 |
| Master's | $147,771 | $109,681 to $209,330 |
Compare Petroleum Engineering programs in your state
Highest-earning bachelor's Petroleum Engineering programs
- University of Tulsa (OK): $145,353, median federal debt $26,950
- The University of Texas at Austin (TX): $139,867, median federal debt $17,239
- Texas Tech University (TX): $139,864, median federal debt $24,850
- University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus (OK): $123,416, median federal debt $23,000
- Colorado School of Mines (CO): $116,691, median federal debt $26,500
- Texas A & M University-College Station (TX): $114,686, median federal debt $18,969
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (PA): $113,669, median federal debt $22,837
- Montana Technological University (MT): $106,076, median federal debt $27,000
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LA): $103,421, median federal debt $24,211
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette (LA): $102,594, median federal debt $20,500
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Petroleum Engineering. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Petroleum Engineering, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,740 | 14,500 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $106,120 | 4,100 | +8.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Petroleum Engineers | $141,280 | 1,200 | +1.3% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Petroleum Engineering does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Petroleum Engineering major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Petroleum Engineering program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Petroleum Engineering department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Petroleum Engineering program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Petroleum Engineering credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Texas A & M University-College Station, TX · 134 credentials
- The University of Texas at Austin, TX · 108 credentials
- Texas Tech University, TX · 65 credentials
- University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus, OK · 59 credentials
- Colorado School of Mines, CO · 45 credentials
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, PA · 43 credentials
- University of Houston, TX · 37 credentials
- University of North Dakota, ND · 28 credentials
- University of Tulsa, OK · 27 credentials
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College, LA · 22 credentials
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, NM · 21 credentials
- West Virginia University, WV · 19 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Petroleum Engineering credentials were awarded
One state has a distinct enough set of Petroleum Engineering colleges to be worth its own page.
Petroleum Engineering by state
- Petroleum Engineering in California
- Petroleum Engineering in Florida
- Petroleum Engineering in Georgia
- Petroleum Engineering in Illinois
- Petroleum Engineering in Maryland
- Petroleum Engineering in Massachusetts
- Petroleum Engineering in New York
- Petroleum Engineering in North Carolina
- Petroleum Engineering in Pennsylvania
- Petroleum Engineering in Texas
Every Petroleum Engineering program with its own CampusPin page
7 programs in 3 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Petroleum Engineering programs in Louisiana, 2 programs
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Bachelor's, $103,421
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette Bachelor's, $102,594
Petroleum Engineering programs in Oklahoma, 1 program
- University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Bachelor's, $123,416
Petroleum Engineering programs in Texas, 4 programs
- Texas A & M University-College Station Bachelor's, $114,686
- Texas Tech University Bachelor's, $139,864
- The University of Texas at Austin Bachelor's, $139,867
- University of Houston Bachelor's, $94,651
Related majors
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering applies chemistry, physics, and math to design large-scale processes that turn raw materials into fuels, medicines, and materials, for students who like lab science and design.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering applies physics, materials, and design to machines and mechanical systems, suiting students who want to build, analyze, and test physical hardware.
Geology
Geology studies the Earth's materials, structure, and history, suiting students drawn to fieldwork, lab analysis, and questions about natural resources, hazards, and deep time.
Engineering
Engineering majors apply math, physics, and design to build the physical and digital systems that power society, from bridges and chips to medical devices and aircraft.
Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineering applies chemistry and design to keep water, air, and soil clean, for students who want to build systems that control pollution and protect public health.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Petroleum Engineering degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Engineering & Architecture careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Petroleum Engineering degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Petroleum Engineering path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.