2026 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[Petroleum Engineering](/majors/engineering/petroleum-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for petroleum engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in petroleum engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools
University Of Wyoming tops our 2026 list of the best value petroleum engineering schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. Located in the town of Laramie, University Of Wyoming is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,768, with out-of-state students paying around $24,178. Typical student debt for petroleum engineering graduates is $24,638. Petroleum Engineering graduates of University Of Wyoming earn a median of $66,221 early in their careers. Set against $24,638 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in petroleum engineering will find it at Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Butte, Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,289, with out-of-state students paying around $26,094. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the petroleum engineering program here. Soon after graduation, petroleum engineering degree recipients from Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana generally make around $69,212. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Colorado School Of Mines earned it the #3 place for petroleum engineering. Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Golden. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,914, with out-of-state students paying around $45,824. Typical student debt for petroleum engineering graduates is $27,000. Petroleum Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $77,400 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 61%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
