Agricultural Production Operations: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 18 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$149,348 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
—Modeled economic break-even
−127%Modeled 10-year ROI
$41,868Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$41,868Median reported earnings · year 4
$42,172Average reported earnings · year 5
$11,629Median federal debt
30thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
18Reporting programs
18With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,904
- Federal debt
- $11,000
- Reporting programs
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,868
- Federal debt
- $11,629
- Reporting programs
- 18
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,516
- Federal debt
- $22,123
- Reporting programs
- 19
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,419
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$35,518National median$41,86875th percentile$46,669
18 programs report year‑4 earnings.DECISION CHECK
What to compare before choosing a program
The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.
Find the colleges that fit your constraints
Keep this exact federal field and credential fixed, then narrow the reporting colleges by location, sector and federal debt.
18 matchesShowing up to 25 currently operating colleges
1Northeast Community CollegeNorfolk, NE · PublicYear-4 earnings$71,726Federal debtNot availableAnnual net price$8,5442Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · PublicYear-4 earnings$61,118Federal debt$10,000Annual net price$9,7053Ohio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteWooster, OH · PublicYear-4 earnings$56,234Federal debt$12,000Annual net price$17,8094Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, OH · PublicYear-4 earnings$56,234Federal debt$12,000Annual net price$17,3395Mitchell Technical CollegeMitchell, SD · PublicYear-4 earnings$49,700Federal debt$12,000Annual net price$13,4606Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, VA · PublicYear-4 earnings$46,669Federal debt$11,000Annual net price$24,9537Northeastern Junior CollegeSterling, CO · PublicYear-4 earnings$44,537Federal debtNot availableAnnual net price$13,8018Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa Falls, IA · PublicYear-4 earnings$43,863Federal debtNot availableAnnual net price$11,4519North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, NC · PublicYear-4 earnings$43,361Federal debt$12,000Annual net price$17,30310Piedmont Technical CollegeGreenwood, SC · PublicYear-4 earnings$40,375Federal debtNot availableAnnual net price$11,36611Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth Portland, ME · PublicYear-4 earnings$40,025Federal debtNot availableAnnual net price$11,08612University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · PublicYear-4 earnings$39,559Federal debt$11,629Annual net price$17,74713Nebraska College of Technical AgricultureCurtis, NE · PublicYear-4 earnings$39,559Federal debt$11,629Annual net price$14,63914Niagara County Community CollegeSanborn, NY · PublicYear-4 earnings$35,518Federal debt$11,000Annual net price$6,87615Vermont State UniversityRandolph, VT · PublicYear-4 earnings$34,308Federal debtNot availableAnnual net price$18,21216Northcentral Technical CollegeWausau, WI · PublicYear-4 earnings$33,350Federal debt$9,000Annual net price$10,30317Wilkes Community CollegeWilkesboro, NC · PublicYear-4 earnings$31,127Federal debtNot availableAnnual net priceNot available18University of Puerto Rico-UtuadoUtuado, PR · PublicYear-4 earnings$13,731Federal debtNot availableAnnual net price$13,648
Open the full program search →See the spread, not just the national number.
1Northeast Community College$71,7262Kirkwood Community College$61,1183Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute$56,2344Ohio State University-Main Campus$56,2345Mitchell Technical College$49,7006Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$46,6697Northeastern Junior College$44,5378Ellsworth Community College$43,8639North Carolina State University at Raleigh$43,36110Piedmont Technical College$40,375Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersSOC 11-9013 · 9 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersSOC 45-1011 · 9 crosswalk linksAgricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 7 crosswalk linksFarm and Home Management EducatorsSOC 25-9021 · 5 crosswalk linksAnimal BreedersSOC 45-2021 · 3 crosswalk linksAnimal ScientistsSOC 19-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksConservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031 · 1 crosswalk linksFarmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural AnimalsSOC 45-2093 · 1 crosswalk linksForestry and Conservation Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1043 · 1 crosswalk linksSoil and Plant ScientistsSOC 19-1013 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northeast Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Norfolk, NE | $71,726 | Not available | +150% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Kirkwood Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cedar Rapids, IA | $61,118 | $10,000 | +47% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Ohio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteAssociate's Degree | Wooster, OH | $56,234 | $12,000 | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main CampusAssociate's Degree | Columbus, OH | $56,234 | $12,000 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Mitchell Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Mitchell, SD | $49,700 | $12,000 | -60% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $46,669 | $11,000 | -88% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Northeastern Junior CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sterling, CO | $44,537 | Not available | -104% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Ellsworth Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Iowa Falls, IA | $43,863 | Not available | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | North Carolina State University at RaleighAssociate's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $43,361 | $12,000 | -113% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Piedmont Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Greenwood, SC | $40,375 | Not available | -141% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Southern Maine Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | South Portland, ME | $40,025 | Not available | -144% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | University of Nebraska-LincolnAssociate's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $39,559 | $11,629 | -143% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Nebraska College of Technical AgricultureAssociate's Degree | Curtis, NE | $39,559 | $11,629 | -146% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Niagara County Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sanborn, NY | $35,518 | $11,000 | -191% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Vermont State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Randolph, VT | $34,308 | Not available | -185% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Northcentral Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Wausau, WI | $33,350 | $9,000 | -205% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Wilkes Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Wilkesboro, NC | $31,127 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 18 | University of Puerto Rico-UtuadoAssociate's Degree | Utuado, PR | $13,731 | Not available | -367% | Negative payoff |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.