Agricultural Public Services Degree

10 schools compared · Average earnings $42,389/yr

Students study agricultural extension, outreach methods, rural community development, and how to communicate scientific advances to farmers and the public. Graduates typically pursue careers as agricultural extension agents, USDA program coordinators, and rural development specialists. This major is ideal for those who want to serve farming communities through education and public programs.

What Agricultural Public Services Graduates Do

Your degree prepares you to be a storyteller and educator for the agricultural world. You might find yourself on the ground as a journalist, investigating the impact of new water rights policies on local farms or reporting on breakthroughs in crop science. Or, you could be behind the camera as an audio/video technician, producing documentaries on rural life or creating podcasts that connect farmers with consumers. Another path is direct community engagement as a farm and home management educator, where you’ll work one-on-one with families to improve their financial planning and adopt sustainable practices.

Career progression often involves moving from production tasks to strategic leadership—from editing footage to directing a series, or from assisting with workshops to managing a regional extension program. While technical media roles see modest growth, be aware that traditional journalism and educator positions face significant headwinds.

AI's impact varies greatly. For journalists, it's a disruptive force; AI handles routine data analysis and drafting, shrinking entry-level tasks. Your value will shift to expert verification and investigative judgment. In media, AI will automate technical work, demanding you adapt to new tools. The hands-on, trust-based role of an educator, however, remains largely insulated, a key advantage in an automated world.

Schools Offering
10
Avg Grad Earnings
$42,389/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
38/100
AI Automation Risk
High
47% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Agricultural Public Services graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 12,500 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
News analysts, reporters, and journalists
$60,280
$40K$97K
4,100 -3.9% 65%
Farm and home management educators
$58,120
$46K$69K
1,100 -2.5% 37%
Audio and video technicians
$54,830
$44K$74K
7,300 +3.3% 44%
News analysts, reporters, and journalists
$60,280
$40K $97K
4,100 openings/yr -3.9% growth 65% AI risk
Farm and home management educators
$58,120
$46K $69K
1,100 openings/yr -2.5% growth 37% AI risk
Audio and video technicians
$54,830
$44K $74K
7,300 openings/yr +3.3% growth 44% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Agricultural Public Services

10 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
52
43–52
$48,092/yr 14.4x
2 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
45
36–45
$50,123/yr 12.1x
3 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
43
36–44
$54,583/yr 11.3x
4 Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX
42
33–43
$44,232/yr 9.8x
5 Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK
42
34–43
$41,043/yr 12.4x
6 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
38
29–38
$48,643/yr 6.6x
7 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN
38
29–39
$43,324/yr 8.6x
8 Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
37
29–38
$36,134/yr 10.5x
9 University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
28
20–29
$34,495/yr 7.4x
10 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH
19
15–20
$23,221/yr 3.5x

Highest Earning Agricultural Public Services Programs

Schools where Agricultural Public Services graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

Best ROI for Agricultural Public Services

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Agricultural Public Services.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
University of Wisconsin-Madison 14.4x $48,092/yr 52
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus 12.4x $41,043/yr 42
University of Arkansas 12.1x $50,123/yr 45
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 11.3x $54,583/yr 43
Texas Tech University 10.5x $36,134/yr 37
Texas A & M University-College Station 9.8x $44,232/yr 42
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 8.6x $43,324/yr 38
University of Kentucky 7.4x $34,495/yr 28
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 6.6x $48,643/yr 38
Ohio State University-Main Campus 3.5x $23,221/yr 19
Want to compare two Agricultural Public Services programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Agricultural Public Services graduates earn?
Across 10 schools, Agricultural Public Services graduates earn an average of $42,389 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $23,221 to $54,583 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Agricultural Public Services?
Agricultural Public Services is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 47% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Agricultural Public Services program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks #1 for Agricultural Public Services with a score of 52/100 and graduate earnings of $48,092/yr.
What's the outlook for a Agricultural Public Services degree?
On average, Agricultural Public Services graduates earn 9.7x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →