2026 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the petroleum engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools
The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin tops our 2026 list of the best value petroleum engineering schools in the Southwest Region. Located in the city of Odessa, The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,607 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,900. Typical student debt for petroleum engineering graduates is $24,500. Soon after graduation, petroleum engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin generally make around $61,299. Set against $24,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin admits about 95% of applicants.
University Of Houston is a great value for students pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,717 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,547. Students borrow a median of $23,366 to complete the petroleum engineering program here. Petroleum Engineering graduates of University Of Houston earn a median of $52,295 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus one of the best values for petroleum engineering. University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Norman. Students from in state pay about $9,797 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $27,377. Typical student debt for petroleum engineering graduates is $24,625. Petroleum Engineering graduates of University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus earn a median of $61,223 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,625 median debt. University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus admits about 77% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Austin is a great value for students pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Typical student debt for petroleum engineering graduates is $17,239. Petroleum Engineering graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $86,761 early in their careers. Set against $17,239 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in petroleum engineering will find it at Texas Tech University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,852, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Typical student debt for petroleum engineering graduates is $26,090. Soon after graduation, petroleum engineering degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $80,460. That is a strong return on a $26,090 median debt. Texas Tech University admits about 73% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station came in at #6 for value in petroleum engineering this year. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, while out-of-state students pay about $40,124. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the petroleum engineering program here. Early-career petroleum engineering graduates make about $120,587. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
University Of Tulsa came in at #7 for value in petroleum engineering this year. Set in the city of Tulsa, University Of Tulsa is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,546. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the petroleum engineering program here. Early-career petroleum engineering graduates make about $66,166. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
[Petroleum Engineering](/majors/engineering/petroleum-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
