Agriculture, General Degree

47 schools compared · Average earnings $40,366/yr

Students study the broad foundations of agricultural science, including crop production, animal husbandry, soil management, and farm economics. Graduates typically pursue careers in farm management, agricultural consulting, government agencies, and agribusiness companies. This versatile degree provides a strong base for entering one of the world's most essential industries.

What Agriculture, General Graduates Do

Your career will start with hands-on work in the field, lab, or production facility. You might begin as an agricultural technician, collecting soil samples, operating drones to monitor crop health, or running tests on plant tissues. Or you could join a company as a food technologist, experimenting with new product formulations to perfect their taste, texture, and shelf life. As you gain experience, you’ll move from collecting data to analyzing it and leading projects. Technicians can advance to become soil or plant scientists, managing research or advising large agricultural operations. The path for food scientists is growing especially fast, with senior roles leading new product development from concept to supermarket shelf.

AI is changing these roles, but not eliminating them. It will automate significant chunks of routine work, like analyzing sensor data from fields or sorting genetic information. This frees you up for more complex problem-solving, experimental design, and applying insights in the real world. Your value will be in interpreting the AI’s output and making strategic decisions, so adaptability and a willingness to learn new tools will be key to your long-term success.

Schools Offering
47
Avg Grad Earnings
$40,366/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
37/100
AI Automation Risk
High
50% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Agriculture, General graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 6,800 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary
$86,350
$64K$123K
800 +4.1% 50%
Food scientists and technologists
$85,310
$65K$112K
1,200 +6.5% 35%
Animal scientists
$79,120
$60K$128K
200 +5.8% 53%
Soil and plant scientists
$71,410
$58K$98K
1,700 +5.4% 49%
Agricultural technicians
$46,790
$38K$59K
2,900 +4.3% 50%
Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary
$86,350
$64K $123K
800 openings/yr +4.1% growth 50% AI risk
Food scientists and technologists
$85,310
$65K $112K
1,200 openings/yr +6.5% growth 35% AI risk
Animal scientists
$79,120
$60K $128K
200 openings/yr +5.8% growth 53% AI risk
Soil and plant scientists
$71,410
$58K $98K
1,700 openings/yr +5.4% growth 49% AI risk
Agricultural technicians
$46,790
$38K $59K
2,900 openings/yr +4.3% growth 50% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Agriculture, General

Top 20 of 47 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
56
49–56
$64,786/yr 14.4x
2 Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX
50
43–50
$59,625/yr 10.7x
3 West Texas A & M University
Canyon, TX
49
41–49
$45,300/yr 15.4x
4 Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS
48
40–48
$48,048/yr 20.2x
5 Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT
48
40–49
$41,071/yr 20.2x
6 Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
47
39–48
$44,994/yr 12.5x
7 North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, ND
45
38–45
$55,828/yr 11.9x
8 Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
45
37–45
$54,596/yr 10.1x
9 Illinois State University
Normal, IL
45
37–46
$47,295/yr 9.0x
10 Texas A & M University-Kingsville
Kingsville, TX
45
37–45
$41,646/yr 13.5x
11 Langston University
Langston, OK
44
36–44
$45,155/yr 15.8x
12 Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO
44
37–45
$38,678/yr 14.0x
13 South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
43
35–44
$49,781/yr 11.7x
14 Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL
43
36–44
$48,509/yr 8.7x
15 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
43
35–43
$39,700/yr 10.9x
16 California State University-Stanislaus
Turlock, CA
41
33–41
$43,101/yr 12.8x
17 University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO
41
34–42
$42,145/yr 9.4x
18 McNeese State University
Lake Charles, LA
41
33–41
$37,887/yr 14.4x
19 The University of Tennessee-Martin
Martin, TN
40
32–40
$39,438/yr 11.8x
20 Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND
39
31–39
$42,583/yr 10.7x

Highest Earning Agriculture, General Programs

Schools where Agriculture, General graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

Best ROI for Agriculture, General

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Agriculture, General.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Fort Hays State University 20.2x $48,048/yr 48
Southern Utah University 20.2x $41,071/yr 48
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 17.3x $26,677/yr 29
Langston University 15.8x $45,155/yr 44
West Texas A & M University 15.4x $45,300/yr 49
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 14.4x $64,786/yr 56
McNeese State University 14.4x $37,887/yr 41
Northwest Missouri State University 14.0x $38,678/yr 44
Texas A & M University-Kingsville 13.5x $41,646/yr 45
Tennessee Technological University 13.3x $33,508/yr 39
Want to compare two Agriculture, General programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Agriculture, General offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Agriculture, General graduates earn?
Across 47 schools, Agriculture, General graduates earn an average of $40,366 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $18,154 to $64,786 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Agriculture, General?
Agriculture, General is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 50% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Agriculture, General program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #1 for Agriculture, General with a score of 56/100 and graduate earnings of $64,786/yr.
What's the outlook for a Agriculture, General degree?
On average, Agriculture, General graduates earn 10.8x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →