2026 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools in Texas
[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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for petroleum engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Petroleum Engineering Schools in Texas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in petroleum engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
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 Texas. The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Odessa. Students from in state pay about $9,607 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,900. Petroleum Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,500 in student loans. Early-career petroleum engineering graduates make about $61,299. That is a strong return on a $24,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Students looking for strong value in petroleum engineering will find it at University Of Houston, which ranked #2. University Of Houston is a very large public school located in the city of Houston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,717, while out-of-state students pay about $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. Set against $23,366 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Students looking for strong value in petroleum engineering will find it at The University Of Texas At Austin, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Students borrow a median of $17,239 to complete the petroleum engineering program here. Petroleum Engineering graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $86,761 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
Texas Tech University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,852, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Typical student debt for petroleum engineering graduates is $26,090. Petroleum Engineering graduates of Texas Tech University earn a median of $80,460 early in their careers. 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 is a great value for students pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. In-state tuition and fees average $12,995, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the petroleum engineering program here. Petroleum Engineering graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $120,587 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
