Plant Sciences: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Plant Sciences graduates earn a median $56,567 four years after finishing — $8,207/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 8.2 years. Federal data pools 88 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,920 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $82,487 |
| 2 | South Dakota State University | SD | $78,494 |
| 3 | California State University-Fresno | CA | $77,034 |
| 4 | University of California-Davis | CA | $72,335 |
| 5 | California State University-Chico | CA | $68,629 |
| 6 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | CA | $66,714 |
| 7 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $66,513 |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $63,279 |
| 9 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | $62,957 |
| 10 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | NE | $61,946 |
| 11 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | $61,587 |
| 12 | Arkansas State University | AR | $61,397 |
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.