Agriculture, General Degree
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.
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 | 800 | +4.1% | 50% | |
| Food scientists and technologists | 1,200 | +6.5% | 35% | |
| Animal scientists | 200 | +5.8% | 53% | |
| Soil and plant scientists | 1,700 | +5.4% | 49% | |
| Agricultural technicians | 2,900 | +4.3% | 50% |
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.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $64,786/yr | 56 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | $59,625/yr | 50 |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus | $55,828/yr | 45 |
| Texas Tech University | $54,596/yr | 45 |
| Cornell University | $53,465/yr | 30 |
| South Dakota State University | $49,781/yr | 43 |
| Western Illinois University | $48,509/yr | 43 |
| Fort Hays State University | $48,048/yr | 48 |
| Illinois State University | $47,295/yr | 45 |
| West Texas A & M University | $45,300/yr | 49 |
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 |
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.