collageOil, Gas and Petroleum Engineering is a branch of engineering concerned with the extraction of oil and gas in a safe and affordable manner. This particular sector of engineering is crucial to the global economy and UK university graduates are in high demand from companies all over the world.
The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 ranked the best Petroleum Engineering universities in the UK, with Imperial College London, a global leader in engineering, finishing top in the UK and a number of Scottish universities also performing well.
Learn more about the top three universities in the UK for the study of petroleum engineering below and, if you wish to apply to study engineering in the UK, arrange a free consultation with SI-UK London today.
If you want to become a petroleum engineer, first & foremost you should collect relevant information to ease your decision making. Since there are so many colleges that offer an engineering curriculum, you will surely find it hard to select the right school that best suits your individual goals. It is absolutely pivotal to find an accredited university that can deliver quality education along with employment prospects. With interdisciplinary options, a student can focus on different subjects depending on his/her concentration.
The core purpose of best petroleum engineering schools is to educate students to tackle complex subjects that require years of mastery. In order make an informed decision, check out how different schools are ranked across the nation. The list of college ranking is based not only on the quality of the program but also external factors like popularity ratings, insider reviews etc. So don’t rely heavily on the rankings, use your own individual criteria for selecting a college. For further admission guidance, students can quickly access free information by clicking one of your favorite college in USA from the list below…
THE BEST PETROLEUM ENGINEERING SCHOOLS
| RANK | SCHOOL NAME | STATE | S:F RATIO | % ADMIT | RET. RATE | GRAD. RATE | P.E. DEGREES | NET PRICE |
|---|
| 1 | University of Texas at Austin | TX | 18 | 39% | 95% | 80% | 206 | $17,366 |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines | CO | 16 | 38% | 94% | 77% | 235 | $24,297 |
| 3 | Texas A&M University | TX | 20 | 67% | 90% | 79% | 245 | $13,723 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University | PA | 16 | 51% | 93% | 86% | 231 | $24,992 |
| 5 | University of Tulsa | OK | 11 | 44% | 88% | 68% | 105 | $25,355 |
| 6 | University of Oklahoma | OK | 18 | 78% | 85% | 66% | 188 | $16,909 |
| 7 | Stanford University Petroleum Engineering | CA | 11 | 5% | 98% | 94% | 17 | $19,245 |
| 8 | University of Southern California (USC) | CA | 9 | 18% | 96% | 92% | 80 | $31,384 |
| 9 | Louisiana State University | LA | 22 | 77% | 85% | 67% | 200 | $13,552 |
| 10 | Texas Tech University | TX | 22 | 63% | 83% | 60% | 163 | $15,005 |
| 11 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | MO | 18 | 88% | 87% | 65% | 90 | $13,910 |
| 12 | University of Pittsburgh | PA | 15 | 54% | 92% | 82% | 19 | $24,311 |
| 13 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | NM | 14 | 24% | 75% | 49% | 51 | $12,489 |
| 14 | West Virginia University | WV | 20 | 86% | 79% | 57% | 113 | $10,405 |
| 15 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | LA | 23 | 55% | 76% | 45% | 86 | $9,065 |
- S:F = Student to Faculty Ratio
- % Admit = Percentage of applicants who were admitted
- Ret. Rate = Retention rate, i.e. percentage of students who stay in the school
- Grad. Rate = Graduation rate. i.e. rate at which students pass with a degree
- PE Degrees = Number of P.E. degrees awarded by the department
Quick analysis: As you can see, we rate University of Texas very highly. It’s got a large program and is inexpensive. Penn State University is the best non-Texas/Colorado option, but overall there are a surprising number of schools with good petroleum engineering graduate programs. You can get a solid and respected degree in petroleum engineering (inc. natural gas) from many institutions in the United States.
TOP VALUE FOR MONEY COLLEGES
In the table above, net price is only one of many ranking factors we consider. Saving us the trouble of doing a second set of calculations, Forbes magazine collaborates with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity to rank every institute of higher education in the USA according to the best value for money.
The number in brackets indicates the college’s national ranking (across all subjects, not just Petroleum Engineering).
| PE RANK (ALL) | SCHOOL NAME | S:F RATIO | RET. RATE | GRAD RATE | P.E. DEGREES AWARDED | NET PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (12) | Stanford University Petroleum Engineering | 11 | 98% | 94% | 17 | $19,245 |
| 2 (17) | University of Texas at Austin | 18 | 95% | 80% | 206 | $17,366 |
| 3 (18) | Texas A&M University | 20 | 90% | 79% | 245 | $13,723 |
| 4 (45) | Colorado School of Mines | 16 | 94% | 77% | 235 | $24,297 |
| 5 (69) | University of Southern California (USC) | 9 | 96% | 92% | 80 | $31,384 |
| 6 (95) | Pennsylvania State University | 16 | 93% | 86% | 231 | $24,992 |
| 7 (158) | University of Tulsa | 11 | 88% | 68% | 105 | $25,355 |
| 8 (160) | University of Pittsburgh | 15 | 92% | 82% | 19 | $24,311 |
| 9 (249) | Louisiana State University | 22 | 85% | 67% | 200 | $13,552 |
| 10 (269) | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 18 | 87% | 65% | 90 | $13,910 |
| 11 (289) | Marietta College | 10 | 73% | 66% | 82 | $23,539 |
The aim of this page is to compare and rank universities, colleges, and schools which offer Petroleum Engineering degrees. These useful tables show an at-a-glance comparison of programs in North America.
THE 10 EASIEST PROGRAMS TO GET IN TO
These are the universities with the highest acceptance rates. Heading the list is Wyoming, who accept 96% of applications.
Note that Utah in particular has a small PE department.
| NAME | STUDENT FACULTY RATIO | RETEN. RATE | GRAD. RATE | TOTAL PE DEGREES AWARDED | STUDENT POP. | % ADMITTED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 15 | 76 | 55 | 64 | 12820 | 96 |
| Kansas | 17 | 80 | 61 | 28 | 27180 | 93 |
| Montana Tech | 15 | 71 | 38 | 68 | 2085 | 89 |
| Missouri | 18 | 86 | 65 | 93 | 8640 | 88 |
| West Virginia | 21 | 77 | 57 | 95 | 29175 | 86 |
| Texas Permian Basin | 18 | 69 | 40 | 22 | 5560 | 84 |
| Texas Kingsville | 20 | 64 | 33 | 25 | 13246 | 82 |
| North Dakota | 19 | 80 | 54 | 18 | 14906 | 82 |
| Utah | 17 | 89 | 64 | 5 | 31515 | 81 |
| Oklahoma | 18 | 85 | 66 | 156 | 27261 | 78 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE BEST PETROLEUM ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY?
According to our research the best petroleum engineering school is the University of Texas at Austin.
WHICH COUNTRY IS THE BEST TO STUDY PETROLEUM ENGINEERING?
The best country to study petroleum engineering is the USA, thanks to its long history and advanced technology.
WHAT SCHOOLS OFFER PETROLEUM ENGINEERING?
A complete list of the schools that offer petroleum engineering is on our website.
IS PETROLEUM ENGINEERING A GROWING FIELD?
Yes, petroleum engineering is a growing field. The number of related jobs is expected to grow 15 percent by 2026.
IS PETROLEUM ENGINEERING A GOOD MAJOR?
Petroleum Engineering is a really good major.
HOW DO I BECOME A PETROLEUM ENGINEER?
You need different skills. A bit of math, some chemistry, and let’s brush up on geology just for fun. Join some student groups and enrol in the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
All the easy-to-reach milkshake (AKA hydrocarbon) has been… well, reached, and as we start to tackle the harder stuff we need different skills. The future of the industry is advanced computer simulations, reservoir behaviour modeling, and seriously complex automation. Petroleum Engineers in the future will be part oilman, part James Bond baddie.
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