Agriculture, General: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 51 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$165,640 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
31.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−68%Modeled 10-year ROI
$52,804Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$52,804Median reported earnings · year 4
$52,842Average reported earnings · year 5
$20,699Median federal debt
30thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
51Reporting programs
44With 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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,205
- Federal debt
- $11,500
- Reporting programs
- 11
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,804
- Federal debt
- $20,699
- Reporting programs
- 51
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,078
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 5
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$48,778National median$52,80475th percentile$58,245
44 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$84,4122Texas State University$71,2373Cornell University$67,9544California State University, Stanislaus$64,6695Illinois State University$63,6006North Dakota State University-Main Campus$62,2857California State University, Chico$61,3698South Dakota State University$61,1329Sam Houston State University$60,59810Texas A&M University-College Station$59,213Observed 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.
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 1 crosswalk linksAgricultural TechniciansSOC 19-4012 · 1 crosswalk linksAnimal ScientistsSOC 19-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksFood Scientists and TechnologistsSOC 19-1012 · 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 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $84,412 | $21,903 | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Texas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Marcos, TX | $71,237 | $20,699 | +6% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $67,954 | $15,599 | -22% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | California State University, StanislausBachelor's Degree | Turlock, CA | $64,669 | Not available | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Illinois State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, IL | $63,600 | $18,750 | -28% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | North Dakota State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Fargo, ND | $62,285 | $25,000 | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | California State University, ChicoBachelor's Degree | Chico, CA | $61,369 | $15,000 | -31% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | South Dakota State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Brookings, SD | $61,132 | $20,000 | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Sam Houston State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Huntsville, TX | $60,598 | $19,125 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $59,213 | $18,585 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Western Illinois UniversityBachelor's Degree | Macomb, IL | $58,333 | $18,969 | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Texas A&M University-KingsvilleBachelor's Degree | Kingsville, TX | $58,245 | $22,875 | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleBachelor's Degree | Carbondale, IL | $57,596 | $18,000 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Texas Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lubbock, TX | $57,343 | $27,000 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $57,207 | $24,372 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Warner UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lake Wales, FL | $56,429 | $22,250 | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $53,969 | $19,000 | -64% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $53,568 | Not available | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Oregon State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Corvallis, OR | $53,547 | $26,000 | -67% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBachelor's Degree | Bend, OR | $53,547 | $26,000 | -66% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of Nebraska-LincolnBachelor's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $52,997 | Not available | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $52,932 | $26,000 | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Delaware State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dover, DE | $52,676 | $23,625 | -67% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Dickinson State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dickinson, ND | $52,529 | Not available | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Truman State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Kirksville, MO | $52,303 | $19,500 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Tennessee Technological UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cookeville, TN | $52,085 | $14,915 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | East Texas A&M UniversityBachelor's Degree | Commerce, TX | $51,983 | $20,500 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Langston UniversityBachelor's Degree | Langston, OK | $51,091 | $28,310 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Western Kentucky UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bowling Green, KY | $51,065 | $23,656 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | West Texas A&M UniversityBachelor's Degree | Canyon, TX | $50,396 | $13,460 | -79% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, MO | $49,480 | Not available | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Prairie View A&M UniversityBachelor's Degree | Prairie View, TX | $49,403 | $28,500 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Northwest Missouri State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Maryville, MO | $49,328 | $18,250 | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Virginia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Petersburg, VA | $48,778 | $25,545 | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | The University of Tennessee-MartinBachelor's Degree | Martin, TN | $47,956 | $19,500 | -87% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | North Carolina A&T State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $46,990 | $28,285 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Missouri State University-SpringfieldBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | $46,412 | $20,625 | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Morehead State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morehead, KY | $45,255 | $25,000 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Austin Peay State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Clarksville, TN | $45,020 | $18,625 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Cameron UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lawton, OK | $44,175 | Not available | -104% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | University of Hawaii at HiloBachelor's Degree | Hilo, HI | $44,096 | $26,345 | -104% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | McNeese State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lake Charles, LA | $43,901 | $19,500 | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Tennessee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $42,503 | $27,000 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | University of Puerto Rico-MayaguezBachelor's Degree | Mayaguez, PR | $35,896 | $10,000 | -136% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | Auburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Auburn, AL | Not available | $17,625 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $24,323 |
| 46 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | Not available | $16,750 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,739 |
| 47 | Fort Hays State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hays, KS | Not available | $20,340 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $12,569 |
| 48 | Southern University and A&M CollegeBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | Not available | $28,250 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $20,077 |
| 49 | Alcorn State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Alcorn State, MS | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,265 |
| 50 | New Mexico State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Las Cruces, NM | Not available | $22,993 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $8,889 |
| 51 | Southern University Law CenterBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | Not available | $28,250 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
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.