Best Mining & Petroleum Technology Schools (2026): 6 Ranked by Salary & ROI
These are the top schools offering Mining & Petroleum Technology, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Mining & Petroleum Technology graduate earns $58,980/yr across 6 schools.
BLS projects -1.3% employment growth for occupations in this field from 2024–2034, with approximately 12 annual job openings per related program area.
All Mining & Petroleum Technology Programs Ranked
Click any row for full earnings projections and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, IL · Mining & Petroleum Technology |
69
67–70 |
$61,659/yr | 172.6x |
| 2 |
Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, IL · Mining & Petroleum Technology |
65
62–67 |
$58,787/yr | 101.3x |
| 3 |
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Okmulgee, OK · Mining & Petroleum Technology |
59
57–60 |
$59,357/yr | 50.4x |
| 4 |
Nicholls State University
Thibodaux, LA · Mining & Petroleum Technology |
57
55–58 |
$63,555/yr | 45.1x |
| 5 |
Houston Community College
Houston, TX · Mining & Petroleum Technology |
64
62–65 |
$47,146/yr | 108.9x |
| 6 |
Lackawanna College
Scranton, PA · Mining & Petroleum Technology |
50
48–51 |
$63,377/yr | 19.6x |
Programs by State
Top states by program availability. Click a state for the full in-state ranking.
| State | Programs | Avg Earnings | Avg TSW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 2 | $60,223/yr | 54 |
| Texas | 1 | $47,146/yr | 51 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | $63,377/yr | 46 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | $59,357/yr | 54 |
| Louisiana | 1 | $63,555/yr | 53 |
About This Ranking
What we ranked
Best Mining & Petroleum Technology Schools ranks 6 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.
Data sources
Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.
How to read the table
Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.
Caveats & limitations
Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.