2026 Best Value General Petroleum Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general petroleum engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Petroleum Engineering Schools
For return on investment in general petroleum engineering, no school beat University Of Wyoming this year. University Of Wyoming is a large public school located in the town of Laramie. In-state tuition and fees average $7,768, while out-of-state students pay about $24,178. General Petroleum Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,638 in student loans. Early-career general petroleum engineering graduates make about $66,221. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general petroleum engineering schools. Located in the town of Butte, Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $8,289 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $26,094. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general petroleum engineering program here. Early-career general petroleum engineering graduates make about $69,212. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Colorado School Of Mines earned it the #3 place for general petroleum engineering. Set in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,914, compared with $45,824 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general petroleum engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career general petroleum engineering graduates make about $77,400. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Narrow General Petroleum Engineering Schools by State
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
[General Petroleum Engineering](/majors/engineering/petroleum-engineering/general-petroleum-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
