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2026 Highest Paid Petroleum Engineering Grads in the Rocky Mountains Region

[Petroleum Engineering](/majors/engineering/petroleum-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their petroleum engineering graduates.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid Petroleum Engineering Grads in the Rocky Mountains Region

2026 Highest Paid Petroleum Engineering Grads in the Rocky Mountains Region

Below are the schools whose petroleum engineering graduates go on to earn the most.

Highest Paid Petroleum Engineering Graduates

1

Colorado School Of Mines
Golden, CO

$105,804 Average Early-Career Salary

Leading the list is Colorado School Of Mines, our #1 for petroleum engineering graduate salaries in the Rocky Mountains Region. Colorado School Of Mines is a public school located in the suburb of Golden. After graduating, petroleum engineering degree recipients from Colorado School Of Mines typically earn about $105,804 annually.

2

Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana
Butte, MT

$116,301 Average Early-Career Salary

Students chasing top earnings in petroleum engineering will find them at Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Butte, Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana is a public institution. After graduating, petroleum engineering degree recipients from Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana typically earn about $116,301 annually.

3

University Of Wyoming
Laramie, WY

$108,773 Average Early-Career Salary

University Of Wyoming came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying petroleum engineering schools. Set in the town of Laramie, University Of Wyoming is a public institution. After graduating, petroleum engineering degree recipients from University Of Wyoming typically earn about $108,773 annually.

View All Petroleum Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries petroleum engineering graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).

Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.

*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.

• 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.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.