Agricultural Business and Management

Salary data, best schools, and honest ROI assessment

Avg Earnings (4yr)

$49,008

Median Earnings

$65,882

Schools Offering

ROI Grade

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

25th: $58,983Median: $65,88275th: $70,862

Best Schools for Agricultural Business and Management by Earnings

#	School	ROI	4yr Earnings	Net Price	Major Debt	Grade
1	Cornell University NY · Private	96	$145,218	$28,690	$13,258	A
2	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public	96	$88,396	$16,665	$14,500	B+
3	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public	93	$86,646	$14,355	$20,000	B
4	University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public	77	$82,831	$20,268	$17,499	B+
5	University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public	91	$81,655	$17,354	$14,000	B+
6	University of Idaho ID · Public	59	$80,690	$14,831	$17,956	B
7	Montana State University MT · Public	52	$79,621	$22,499	$20,000	B
8	Mississippi State University MS · Public	54	$78,998	$17,595	$20,500	B
9	University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public	94	$78,577	$15,678	$20,000	B
10	Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public	89	$77,479	$21,315	$20,125	B
11	North Dakota State University-Main Campus ND · Public	80	$77,296	$15,543	$19,500	B+
12	University of Georgia GA · Public	88	$75,921	$13,936	$20,682	B
13	University of Delaware DE · Public	86	$74,606	$17,799	$21,000	B
14	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public	62	$73,471	$32,875	$26,000	C+
15	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public	63	$73,471	$19,550	$26,000	C+
16	Oregon State University OR · Public	75	$72,311	$19,604	$17,666	B+
17	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR · Public	73	$72,311	$18,048	$17,666	B+
18	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale IL · Public	60	$71,910	$13,297	$15,000	B
19	University of Florida FL · Public	92	$70,862	$6,541	$16,218	B+
20	University of Mount Olive NC · Private	29	$70,219	$18,853	$22,237	B+
21	Texas Tech University TX · Public	76	$69,689	$19,070	$19,588	B
22	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public	88	$69,498	$16,778	$21,500	B
23	Michigan State University MI · Public	79	$69,108	$19,680	$24,125	B
24	North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public	87	$68,671	$17,303	$19,500	B
25	Auburn University AL · Public	76	$68,658	$24,323	$21,875	B
26	California State University-Fresno CA · Public	81	$67,731	$7,000	$13,139	B+
27	Iowa State University IA · Public	79	$67,529	$18,589	$16,972	B+
28	South Dakota State University SD · Public	61	$67,425	$19,841	$22,557	B
29	Clemson University SC · Public	86	$67,050	$22,253	$23,250	C+
30	University of Arizona AZ · Public	75	$66,833	$16,674	$24,200	C+
31	Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public	77	$66,603	$17,339	$20,000	B
32	Kansas State University KS · Public	69	$66,387	$19,406	$19,641	B
33	University of Wisconsin-Platteville WI · Public	75	$66,059	$16,032	$15,276	B+
34	West Virginia University WV · Public	64	$66,022	$15,634	$24,070	C
35	Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public	91	$65,900	$14,600	$17,500	B+
36	University of Connecticut CT · Public	85	$65,882	$25,097	$23,000	C+
37	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus CT · Public	85	$65,882	$10,875	$23,000	C+
38	University of Connecticut-Avery Point CT · Public	87	$65,882	$13,807	$23,000	C+
39	University of Connecticut-Stamford CT · Public	84	$65,882	$16,798	$23,000	C+
40	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus CT · Public	87	$65,882	$16,403	$23,000	C+
41	University of Kentucky KY · Public	69	$65,847	$18,851	$23,250	C
42	University of Arkansas AR · Public	69	$65,480	$18,209	$18,909	B+
43	University of Nebraska-Lincoln NE · Public	68	$65,312	$17,747	$19,500	B
44	California State University-Chico CA · Public	82	$65,198	$14,480	$11,250	A
45	University of Wyoming WY · Public	77	$64,200	$13,599	$15,056	B
46	New Mexico State University-Main Campus NM · Public	31	$63,139	$8,889	N/A	-
47	Southeast Missouri State University MO · Public	35	$63,078	$15,882	$14,000	B+
48	Alcorn State University MS · Public	16	$62,499	$13,265	$25,125	C
49	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public	89	$62,398	$24,953	$22,999	C+
50	Sam Houston State University TX · Public	58	$62,302	$16,404	$20,643	B

School-by-school analysis: Agricultural Business and Management

Editorial breakdowns of how agricultural business and management graduates fare at the top-earning programs in our dataset.

Cornell University

NY · Private · $145,218 4yr earnings · $13,258 median debt

Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences houses agricultural business (254 graduates) -- a program that outperforms its name. Median 1-year earnings of $92,163 and 4-year earnings of $145,218 reflect placement into agribusiness, food manufacturing, supply chain management, and financial roles within the food and agricultural sectors. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.144 (ROI grade A) is exceptional. New York state residents in this college pay in-state tuition at a statutory rate well below the private Cornell sticker, which further compresses the already-low debt load. An under-recognized path.

Montana State University(Business Administration and Management program)

MT · Public · $71,578 4yr earnings · $23,000 median debt

Business is MSU's largest non-nursing program at 291 graduates, but the ROI is weaker: $48,164 starting, 0.48 debt-to-earnings, and a C+ grade. $23,000 median debt is reasonable, but starting wages reflect Montana's regional labor market more than national business benchmarks. Students choosing business at MSU should plan to either pursue an MBA or relocate to a higher-wage metro to lift the ROI to acceptable levels.

Texas A&M University-College Station

TX · Public · $77,479 4yr earnings · $20,125 median debt

504 graduates -- the highest enrollment program by volume -- $50,509 year-one, $77,479 year-four, ROI grade B with debt-to-earnings 0.398 and median debt $20,125. Agricultural business reflects A&M's land-grant heritage. Year-four earnings of $77k are solid for an agricultural management track, and the B grade reflects adequate debt-to-earnings at moderate cost. Students in agribusiness, commodity trading, and food/agriculture corporate roles cite A&M's reputation and alumni network as career assets.

Fair Value

Is Agricultural Business and Management Worth It?

Worth It - With the Right School

Agricultural Business and Management offers moderate financial returns. Average earnings of $49,008 four years after graduation are close to the national median for all bachelor's degree holders. The financial case works at affordable schools but gets shakier as tuition rises. Choose your school carefully.

This is a more specialized field, offered at 77 schools in our dataset. Fewer options means less room to optimize on cost, so pay close attention to the financial aid packages you receive.

The top school for this major by earnings is Cornell University, where graduates earn $92,163 four years out. But averages hide a wide range - where you attend and what you do with the degree matter as much as the major itself.

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