U.S. median for this major: $102,594.
College Scorecard field of study; 200 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 25% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,875.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,185. College Scorecard.
UH Petroleum Engineering: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Petroleum Engineering nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses UH's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,929 | $47,978 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $10,220 | $44,866 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $12,528 | $54,998 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $19,197 | $84,275 | 1.4 years |
| $110k+ | $23,811 | $104,530 | 1.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (45% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Petroleum Engineering graduates 4 years after graduating ($94,651) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $61,135 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Petroleum Engineering at Texas colleges
Every Texas college we cover that reports Petroleum Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin | $139,867 | $17,239 | $19,857 | 89% |
| 2 | Texas Tech University | $139,864 | $26,090 | $19,070 | 69% |
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station | $114,686 | $19,000 | $21,315 | 84% |
| 4 | University of Houston | $94,651 | $23,366 | $14,276 | 65% |
| 5 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | $77,469 | — | $12,090 | 42% |
2 more Texas colleges offer Petroleum Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Petroleum Engineering graduates
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Petroleum Engineers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +2.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at UH, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UH
- Acceptance rate: 74% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 65% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $62,377
- Full cost breakdown · all 74 majors · overview
Related majors at UH
- Civil Engineering$89,653
- Mechanical Engineering$93,275
- Electrical Engineering$107,399
- Computer Engineering$107,283
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Chemical Engineering$110,184
UH Petroleum Engineering questions
How much do UH Petroleum Engineering graduates earn?
Petroleum Engineering graduates of University of Houston earn a median $94,651 four years after graduating and $52,295 one year after. The U.S. median for Petroleum Engineering graduates across 19 colleges is $102,594.
How much debt do UH Petroleum Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Petroleum Engineering graduates of University of Houston is $23,366, about 25% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,875.
Is UH a good school for Petroleum Engineering in Texas?
On pay, Petroleum Engineering graduates of University of Houston earn $94,651 four years out, $20,035 below the median for the same major across 5 Texas colleges ($114,686) and $7,943 below the U.S. median ($102,594). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UH rank for Petroleum Engineering in Texas?
Of 5 Texas colleges reporting Petroleum Engineering graduate earnings, University of Houston ranks 4th. The highest is The University of Texas at Austin at $139,867.
What jobs do Petroleum Engineering graduates get?
A common career is architectural and engineering managers, with a median wage of $172,020 in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX area and $171,270 nationally. Others include petroleum engineers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Houston Petroleum Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-houston/majors/petroleum-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).