2026 Best Petroleum Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region
Petroleum Engineering programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best petroleum engineering schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Petroleum Engineering in the Southeast Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the petroleum engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Petroleum Engineering
No school ranked higher than Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College this year for petroleum engineering. Set in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a very large public institution. Roughly 66% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 32 petroleum engineering degrees were awarded at Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College in the most recent year. Students who receive their petroleum engineering degree from Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College earn around $56,605 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,750 to complete this degree.
Read more about the petroleum engineering program at Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College
A rank of #2 makes University Of Louisiana Lafayette one of the top schools for petroleum engineering. Located in the city of Lafayette, University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 53%. There were roughly 13 petroleum engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Louisiana Lafayette in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, petroleum engineering degree recipients from University Of Louisiana Lafayette generally make around $49,781. Typical student debt for the program is $22,806.
Read more about the petroleum engineering program at University Of Louisiana Lafayette
West Virginia University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. West Virginia University is a very large public school located in the city of Morgantown. Roughly 64% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 21 petroleum engineering students who graduated with this degree at West Virginia University in the most recent data year. Petroleum Engineering graduates of West Virginia University earn a median of $68,913 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000.
More information about a degree in petroleum engineering from West Virginia University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.
- 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.
