Agriculture, General: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Agriculture, General graduates earn a median $53,676 four years after finishing — $5,316/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,902/yr net price ($67,608 over four years), that pays back in about 12.7 years. Federal data pools 82 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,883 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Agriculture, General ranks #144 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 29% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $84,412 |
| 2 | Texas State University | TX | $71,237 |
| 3 | Cornell University | NY | $67,954 |
| 4 | California State University-Stanislaus | CA | $64,669 |
| 5 | Illinois State University | IL | $63,600 |
| 6 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | ND | $62,285 |
| 7 | California State University-Chico | CA | $61,369 |
| 8 | South Dakota State University | SD | $61,132 |
| 9 | Sam Houston State University | TX | $60,598 |
| 10 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $59,213 |
| 11 | Western Illinois University | IL | $58,333 |
| 12 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | TX | $58,245 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.
How fast does Agriculture, General pay grow after graduation?
From $39,145 one year out to $53,676 four years out — a $14,531 climb, or 37% over three years. Both are federal medians of the same graduating cohorts, so the gap reflects real wage progression rather than a change in who is measured.
How many students graduate in Agriculture, General each year?
About 1,883 bachelor's graduates a year across 82 programs in the federal file. Cohort size matters when reading the median: a field this size averages across a wide range of employers, regions and job titles.