Petroleum Engineering · North Carolina

Petroleum Engineering colleges in North Carolina

CampusPin lists 95 U.S. colleges in North Carolina that offer Petroleum Engineering programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

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.

Schools in North Carolina that offer Petroleum Engineering

Petroleum Engineering programs in North Carolina: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 95 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

95

Public / private

34 / 16

Universities / 2-year

21 / 29

Cities represented

41

In-state tuition range

$1,978–$65,805

Median in-state tuition

$2,649

Lowest published in-state tuition

Davidson-Davie Community College

$1,978

Most selective

Duke University

7% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

East Carolina University

25,314 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Petroleum Engineering program

  • 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

Where a Petroleum Engineering degree can lead

  • Petroleum Engineer
  • Drilling Engineer
  • Reservoir Engineer
  • Production Engineer
  • Completions Engineer
  • Energy Analyst

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 petroleum engineers median $141,280).

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.

Petroleum Engineering in other states

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Find more Petroleum Engineering schools

Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 95+ Petroleum Engineering programs in North Carolina by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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