2026 Best Value Petroleum Technology/Technician Associate’s Degree Schools
[Petroleum Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/mining-petroleum-technology/petroleum-technology-technician/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong petroleum technology/technician education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 36 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for petroleum technology/technician students.
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2026 Best Value Petroleum Technology/Technician Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the petroleum technology/technician degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Petroleum Technology/Technician Schools
Lewis And Clark Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value petroleum technology/technician schools in the United States. Located in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,340, while out-of-state students pay about $7,840. Typical student debt for petroleum technology/technician graduates is $9,602. Petroleum Technology/technician graduates of Lewis And Clark Community College earn a median of $58,787 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
L E Fletcher Technical Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in petroleum technology/technician, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Schriever, L E Fletcher Technical Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,219 in tuition and fees. Petroleum Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $5,396 in student loans. Early-career petroleum technology/technician graduates make about $50,330. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Nicholls State University earned it the #3 place for petroleum technology/technician. Nicholls State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Thibodaux. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,149, compared with $9,242 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,848 to complete the petroleum technology/technician program here. Petroleum Technology/technician graduates of Nicholls State University earn a median of $63,555 early in their careers. 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 Lackawanna College earned it the #4 place for petroleum technology/technician. Set in the city of Scranton, Lackawanna College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,400. Typical student debt for petroleum technology/technician graduates is $12,000. Petroleum Technology/technician graduates of Lackawanna College earn a median of $63,377 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
Other Petroleum Technology/Technician Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Petroleum Technology/Technician rankings across degree levels:
View All Petroleum Technology/Technician Rankings >
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 · 36 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
