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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student-teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.

Do you want to acquire a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best bachelor’s in petroleum engineering programs.

What institution did we omit from this list? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.

1. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM

The school’s undergraduate petroleum engineering involves 38 hours of petroleum engineering classes distributed across the areas of drilling. The curriculum is dependent on the related subjects of math, chemistry, physics, and geology. Classes include well design, reservoir engineering, production engineering lab, and well completions. The degree program at NMT also acknowledges the importance of research in addition to applied skills and is recognized for its excellence in research. Graduates work for numerous leading companies in the sector.

2. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO

The Colorado School of Mines specializes in engineering and the applied sciences. The school frequently appears in rankings devoted to the engineering fields, and it is also recognized for its excellence among national colleges and institutions. Mines petroleum engineering graduates enjoy a great reputation and are continuously placed in positions of influence across the sector, both in the field and in the office. Mines learners also have opportunities for summer employment, travel, and opportunities overseas. Members of the department—both professors and learners—are involved in some of the following organizations: Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Association of Drilling Engineers, and American Rock Mechanics Association.

While the petroleum engineering degree program focuses specifically on the needs of the petroleum sector, it also acknowledges that the energy sector, in general, is in the middle of seismic shifts, so learners are also prepared to tackle the challenges of alternative energy sources.

3. Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Stanford’s petroleum engineering degree program grows out of its bachelor of science (BS) degree program, which is designed to prepare learners for a broad array of careers in the energy sector. It includes petroleum engineering training and places a heavy emphasis on training for the future of the energy sector, which is not limited to petroleum. Classes consist of well log analysis, partial differential equations in engineering, enhanced oil recovery, and geostatistics.

Learners are also urged to think about larger, structural challenges facing the sector. To this end, they are required to finish a senior capstone project. Graduates of Stanford’s degree program enjoy some of the best placement records of any degree program in the country.

4. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Texas A&M University is the flagship school of the Texas A&M University System. The petroleum engineering degree program graduates as many as 200 learners annually through the dedicated Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering. Learners pursue a bachelor of science (BS) in petroleum engineering and are trained in the traditional areas of engineering such as drilling, production, and transportation methods.

Many learners from this degree program continue their education in graduate programs, while others are placed in positions across the energy sector. The curriculum is based on petroleum engineering. However, the program also ensures that learners obtain real-world experience and a comprehension of the needs and challenges of the sector.

5. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

The petroleum engineering degree program at SDSMT is where science and engineering expertise are united to offer learners a holistic education in the energy sector. The department serves graduates and undergraduates and has two bachelor’s degrees—the BS in geology and the BS in geological engineering. Coursework includes petroleum drilling and production engineering, chemical engineering fluid mechanics, thermo fluid dynamics, and upstream oil and gas processing.

6. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

Petroleum engineer candidates will study in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, which is staffed by leading theorists and professionals in the field and has both undergraduate and graduate training. Learners will major in either petroleum engineering or geosystems engineering and hydrogeology. A sampling of coursework includes engineering, energy, and the environment; engineering communications; petrophysics; and drilling and well completions. This degree program is known for its competitiveness. It only grants admission to approximately 100 learners annually.

7. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is the largest school in the University of Louisiana System and the second-largest institution in the state of Louisiana. It has bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in both arts and sciences. The Department of Petroleum Engineering offers training through both research and applied expertise. Learners obtain experience in oil drilling, natural gas extraction, well design, risk evaluation, and geology. A sampling of a few stand-out upper-level classes consist of thermodynamics, transport phenomenon, reservoir fluid flow, and natural gas engineering. The department has experienced substantial growth and increased recognition in recent years.

8. Montana Tech, Butte, MT

The program started with twenty-one learners and two degrees. Mining engineering and electrical engineering grant admission to approximately 3,000 learners and has 73 bachelor’s degrees, 18 minors, and numerous other licensure and pre-professional programs. Montana Tech’s campus has five state-of-the-art laboratories, and it provide learners with hands-on experience at site locations across the state. Its bachelor of science (BS) in petroleum engineering has three distinct concentrations: Reservoir Engineering, Drilling Engineering, and Production Engineering.

Montana Tech’s degree program in petroleum engineering prepares learners to either pursue further graduate study or secure employment upon graduation. Learners will obtain training in exploration, resource recovery, environmental issues, and sector economics and trends.

9. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

The University of Pittsburgh grants admission to nearly 30,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional learners in 17 distinct schools at its urban campus. Pitt’s petroleum engineering degree program has much to be proud of. The department currently boasts over 40 professors, and it operates numerous labs, learning centers, and programs for its learners. Classes include reactive process engineering, transport phenomena, and dynamics and modeling. Resources available to learners rival those found at any other degree program in the country. Pitt’s strengths in research provide learners with a holistic background in the science of petroleum engineering, and its graduates are employed across the sector in both applied and research capacities.

10. Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA

Penn State is recognized as one of the premier public universities in the United States in any number of areas, both online and residential. Penn State offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees, and it also has a well-developed continuing education degree program for adults and working professionals. The petroleum and natural gas engineering degree is offered through the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and learners are trained in extraction methods, transportation, environmental impact, exploration, production methods, drilling, and reservoir engineering. Key classes consist of ordinary and partial differential equations, physical geography, oil well drilling, and applied reservoir engineering.

11. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

Texas Tech is a public research institution and the flagship school of the Texas Tech University System. The petroleum engineering degree program is located in the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, which has bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in petroleum engineering. The program offers training in the foundational subjects of mathematics, science, geology, physics, and chemistry. Learners also take industry-specific training in the following: well development, well drilling, production engineering, and transportation of natural resources.

12. University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK

The University of Tulsa is a private institution that has historically been affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Learners enrolled in the BS in petroleum engineering degree program can expect to obtain practical training in petroleum engineering. The department shares the institution’s aggressive research agenda, and it enjoys support from some of the top energy companies in the world. Key classes consist of rock and fluids, petroleum economics, sedimentary rocks and processes, and well completion.

13. University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK

The University of Alaska-Fairbank’s petroleum engineering degree program is the only one of its kind in the state. The university’s location lends itself to specialized areas of the sector, such as arctic oil and gas exploration and development. The university also has a graduate degree program in addition to its bachelor’s degree program. Key classes consist of well logging, reservoir rock and fluid properties, sedimentology and structural geology, and drilling fluids. Learners are exposed to chemistry, geology, physics, and traditional principles of engineering science as well as new frontiers and challenges facing the sector.

14. University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

The University of Oklahoma is acknowledged as one of the nation’s premier large public research institutions. It has over 150 bachelor’s programs, 160 master’s programs, and over 70 doctoral programs in liberal arts and sciences. Oklahoma’s petroleum engineering degree program is a popular and well-respected area of study. Undergraduate learners pursue their degree program through the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering and obtain a well-rounded education through exposure to the liberal arts in addition to math, science, and engineering coursework. Learners have the choice of specializing in one of three major areas: drilling engineering, production engineering, or reservoir engineering. Learners are also trained in real-world problem solving and leadership skills.

15. University of Houston, Houston, TX

The University of Houston is the third-largest institution in the state of Texas, and it currently grants admission to well over 40,000 learners on its nearly 700-acre campus. It has nearly 300-degree programs and awards over 9,000 degrees annually, including doctoral and professional programs. It boasts over 40 research centers and institutes on campus that contribute to its reputation for excellence in research.

Houston’s bachelor of science (BS) in petroleum engineering is a relatively new degree program, having started in 2009. Learners are trained in drilling, petrophysics, production, reservoir engineering, geoscience, and economics. The degree program also specializes in the following areas: reservoir engineering, production engineering, and chemical engineering. The degree program is competitive; learners admitted to this program take 52 of their 129 hours in petroleum engineering.