# The University of Texas at Austin: Petroleum Engineering (bachelor's)

Austin, TX. IPEDS 228778, CIP 14.25. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/petroleum-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $86,761
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $139,867 (U.S. median for this major: $102,594 across 19 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $17,239 (U.S. median $25,875)
- Rank in TX: 1 of 5 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the TX median for this major (5 colleges, $114,686): +$25,181
- Versus the U.S. median: +$37,273

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.2 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $139,867 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $12,553 | $52,723 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $14,297 | $60,047 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $17,207 | $72,269 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $24,406 | $102,505 | 1.0 years |
| 110k+ | $30,082 | $126,344 | 1.2 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Petroleum Engineering at TX colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas at Austin | $139,867 | $17,239 | $19,857 | 89% |
| Texas Tech University | $139,864 | $26,090 | $19,070 | 69% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | $114,686 | $19,000 | $21,315 | 84% |
| University of Houston | $94,651 | $23,366 | $14,276 | 65% |
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville | $77,469 | not reported | $12,090 | 42% |

## Careers
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $176,540 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, $171,370 TX, $171,270 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Petroleum Engineers (SOC 17-2171): median wage $168,860 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, $164,860 TX, $144,910 U.S.; U.S. jobs 2% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).